Amorra Week -Summer 2015
by Raven Hallowryn
Summary: These are my written entries for this Amorra Week. They are all part of the same fic!verse and therefore a single story.
1. Day 1 - Sweet Tooth

Amorra Week 2015- Day 1

Prompt: Sweet Tooth

Rating: M

Summary: An anniversary celebration with a sweet twist… And sweetness comes in many forms.

Words: 9,772

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite customer." The loud but courteous voice, punctuated by a slight chuckle, came from a tall lovely woman with skin as pale as moonlight, braided hair like polished onyx and as eyes the color of melted chocolate. She wore a simple beige dress covered by bright pink apron with bold characters spelling out the words 'Ting's Deli'.

"Hello, Ting." The customer greeted brightly, already juggling with an armful of items.

"Having cravings, Avatar Korra?" The cheerful woman enquired suggestively as she eyed the products.

"What? Why would you…" The Avatar trailed off confused, in her struggle not to drop anything her hair, which once again reached just below her shoulder blades, began to slip from its wolftail but she tried to blow tendrils of it off her face as she stared at the woman.

"Bonbons, caramel syrup, honey, whipped cream…" Ting named the items in Korra's arms with no small amount of amusement. "And I'm betting you want the usual cupcakes from the pastry section."

"Yeah, I do." Korra blushed ever so slightly and grinned mischievously. "But it's not what you're thinking."

"Just a nasty sweet tooth then?" The woman wondered with a playful smile.

"Pretty much but it's not mine." The Avatar beamed more noticeably, this time with a mischievous tone to her words.

"Really?" Ting looked curious, almost intrigued.

"Uh-uh. I'm just trying to pick out something special for a special occasion." Korra maintained the secrecy and pointed at the small glass exhibit case filled with pretty sculpted pastries. "For now, just give me one of those passion fruit cupcakes with buttercream frosting, and a chocolate cupcake with blue mint cream and sprinkles, and a couple of those plum-beet cupcakes with the pink cream cheese icing."

"I get a feeling you'll need some medicinal tea for your stomach after this party." The lady joked as she boxed the requested sweets.

"It's not a party, it's a date." The Avatar corrected very proudly.

"A date?" Ting blinked, once again her curiosity piqued.

"Well, more like an anniversary thing." As she paid, Korra chuckled and eyed the pasties with a faraway look to her eyes that was dreamy and completely uncharacteristic of the Avatar.

"Alright, alright. I won't pry anymore." The other smiled with understanding painted on her features, that is, until she suddenly seemed to make a decision and walked to a particular cupboard. "But since you're looking for something sweet and it's a special occasion…" She conjured up a large milky green and gold bottle with camelephants on the label and handed it to the Avatar. "Here, on the house."

"Amarula?" Korra read the cryptic name on the bottle but she didn't recognize the word at all and frowned in confusion. "What is it?"

"It's a strong alcoholic beverage from a distant little land to the southwest. It's very sweet, in fact even though it's made from fermented fruit, it tastes like creamed sugar." Ting explained with a delighted and mischievous smile of her own.

"Really?" The Avatar was the curious one now and eyed the bottle with interest before slipping it in the canvas bag with the rest of her purchases. "Thanks, Ting."

With that they said their goodbyes and Korra walked out with a renewed bounce to her step, Naga sniffed at her purchases for a moment but didn't seem to find anything worthwhile and merely waited for Korra to hop on her saddle. Before long the Avatar was on her way home to prepare for the evening ahead.

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

It was well past sunset when Noatak arrived home, there was still a warm golden red streak of light in the horizon but the sky was deeply tinted violet and indigo freckled with a dusting of stars and the air was cool with a sharp salty breeze that prickled at any exposed skin.

He wasn't exactly sure what he would find when he walked inside but a fire was crackling pleasantly in the fireplace, the table was set nearby and there were thick heavy candles to illuminate his little loft rather the actual lightbulbs.

"Welcome home, honey." Korra greeted with a mockingly sugary voice, she couldn't even keep a straight face at her attempt to sound girlish and broke into snorts at her own words.

"You seem to be in pleasant mood." He retorted noncommittally as he hung up his coat and took off his boots. Noatak then made a show out of looking around the romantic setting with a raised brow. "What's the occasion?"

"Seriously?" Her smile suddenly fell into an irritated frown- of the two of them she was the one that was bad at the romantic stuff and the special dates, he had no right not to remember the occasion when she was making such an effort.

"Am I forgetting something?" He mused, walking up to her casually and producing a small bouquet of blue and lavender flowers. "This, perhaps?"

Noatak stared her right in the eye as he presented the flowers with a sentimental little 'happy anniversary' note nestled in the middle with little butterbees printed onto the edges. His face serious and stoic, Korra looked dumbfounded for a moment as she reached out to accept them… And then they bother cracked up and laughed so hard that their cheeks began hurt.

From an outside perspective it might look odd and even a little crazy but it was merely a private joke.

It had been eight years since Korra defeated Amon and three since he came back into her life almost by accident when their paths crossed in the Spirit World. Korra had been going through a rough time on a personal level despite the peace throughout the world and had expected to feel hatred and fear when Amon stumbled back into her life but she was surprised to find herself calm and strangely intrigued as to how he was still alive. As for Noatak, surviving the explosion that killed his brother had changed something in him and he was still trying to discover what it was; when he was abruptly put face to face with the Avatar he expected to feel defensive and hateful but instead he was impressed by how much she had evolved in wisdom and strength in the years they had been apart.

They decided to consider the Spirit World neutral ground and formed a small truce with the goal of talking and understanding each other in order to decide what should be done next now that they could not pretend to be ignorant of each other's presence but refused to fight.

More or less a year after that discussion it happened- the two had slipped into a strange romantic relationship in a way that seemed almost as gradual and accidental as their Spirit World encounter. And that was where the flowers came in.

It was on their first date… Korra still defended that it shouldn't be called such since their feelings for each other had been changing and blooming for a while and they had already slipped up and kissed before but Noatak defended that that day had been their first official outing together, their first tentative attempt at courtship, and so it was the day they celebrated every year.

They had been walking down the street during a sunny winter afternoon and Noatak's face was bare in Republic City for the first time in a long time, mainly because it was easier not to be recognized that way; for the exact same reason, Korra herself was dressed differently in clothes more suited to someone like Asami than herself and her hair was pinned up in a casual swirl. They were heading to the closest mover theater, when a flower cart passed by and on impulse Noatak had bought a few flowers for her.

Korra had sulked a little and told him that she didn't like flowers, that they were too cliché and girly and it was like offering something dead she could pluck herself if she wanted, something whose only purpose was none other than to look pretty and wilt, she just didn't see the point in receiving flowers from a man. Rather than be offended, Noatak had actually been surprised by how logical and practical she sounded but his confrontational nature (much like hers) and that shred of old antagonism between them compelled him to argue and try to explain the allure of flowers as a romantic gesture.

Before long they were arguing rather stupidly in the middle of the street and she shoved the blossoms in his face… Only to suddenly have a large butterbee fly out of one with its pretty black and gold fanned wings fluttering before it stung Noatak right between the eyes.

Only then did they realize just how idiotic the argument was and -although at the time it had been painful and annoying for him and Korra had felt guilty- when she began to compulsively and repeatedly apologize and he sported a large red welt from the sting, they both had suddenly caught each other's gaze and spontaneously burst out laughing.

It was the first time Korra had ever heard him laugh, a rich sound like pebbles rolling down a brook on a hot summer's day. The sound seemed to reverberate right through her entire being, warming her to the core and making her skin tingle while her lips twitched into an unstoppable smile, and in that moment she knew that she was lost, she knew that she was already in love with her former nemesis.

And nowadays they laughed at how silly he looked throughout the whole date with a huge red welt on his forehead simply because he refused to let her heal him, ever since that day they would offer each other little bundles of flowers with butterbee motifs on occasion as their own little running gag.

When they finally managed to simmer their laughter down to little chuckles, Korra tried to compose herself by setting the flowers aside and planting a hand on her hip confidently.

"Dinner is served." She announced proudly.

"You cooked?" He looked skeptical even though the smell of food in the air was pleasant, something like shellfish and kelp, and there was no smoke or burned scent to be found.

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Korra scowled, looking offended. "Why is it so shocking?"

Noatak merely cocked a brow and crossed his arms, staring at her expectantly as if no answer was needed.

"Ok, fine, it's take-out." The Avatar confessed at last under is scrutiny and added with a sheepish smile- "But it's really good take-out."

"Any take-out is better than your cooking, my love." He teased pleasantly.

"Hey!" Korra pouted adorably and he was forced to duck when she flung the flowers at his face though this time he avoided them neatly.

Noatak's laughter seemed to fill the air around her and Korra was once again struck but how much she loved the sound, a sound that apparently only she had the ability to pull out of him, at least it seemed so nowadays- ever since the fall of Amon it seemed like a little something had died in him and although it took the Avatar a long time to notice, she now felt grateful whenever she saw him relax and act human. She forgave him for the comment instantly and let him pull her into a teasing little kiss.

Before long they were sitting together on the floor and the Avatar was revealing what she considered to be 'really good take-out'- typical Water Tribe crab puffs, miso and sea-prune soup, spicy kelp noodles with vegetables and fish broth, and apple-grape wine to go along with it all.

"Not bad." Noatak complimented as he tasted the food and poured them both some of the wine. "But it's a rather simple meal for a celebration, isn't it?"

"That's so it won't outshine the dessert." Korra remarked mysteriously as she slurped on her noodles in the most unladylike manner but that made Noatak stare at her with enamored eyes anyway.

He wanted to ask what she had planned but decided that he'd rather be surprised so they enjoyed their food and chatted though it was mostly Korra vivaciously talking about the 'move' while he watched her quietly and wondered how he had ever gotten to this place in his life- how had he fallen in love so desperately with the person he had always been taught to hate? How had he opened up to another human being after years trying to be symbol while hiding and casting everyone away from his true self? How had he become so attracted to a person he had been intent on never seeing as human, a creature he had to destroy…?

Yet, the more he learned about her, the more he realized that they had very much in common and their differences and attitudes might cause them to argue much but it was also what sparked all that passion between them, it was what made them complement each other.

Korra babbled something about the move being over and sipped on her wine, staring at him expectantly. He realized he had spaced out a little and missed what she had been saying before, he didn't intend to do that, Korra wasn't a motor mouth and even if she had been he always paid his utmost attention to her but Noatak was just so fascinated by her passion and energy, by her laughter and warmth, that for a moment he had gotten distracted wondering how things could have changed so much in last few years.

To be frank, the 'move', as Korra called it, was merely a formality. In reality the Avatar had been living with him for months already, she would occasionally spend the night back in her room at Air Temple Island where she'd have some meals and sometimes she would leave Naga there too but she spent so much time at his home that her things had been everywhere long before they decided to make it official; yet ever since he'd invited her to move in on a more permanent basis, Korra had been going out of her way to settle herself and Naga in as unobtrusively as possible and endeavored to make his house their shared home.

Noatak had actually been surprised by how considerate she was trying to be by respecting his space, not bending unnecessarily in his presence and being as neat and mature as possible; he knew that even at the age of twenty-five it didn't come easily to her and therefore appreciated the effort but he wished she'd just let go and be herself because he really didn't care how she acted or if she cluttered the house with her things, he just wanted to keep her close, to keep an eye on her and not have to watch her leave. Besides, to Noatak a house had always just been a place to sleep and he had long since realized that only when she was in there did it really feel like a home.

The food was gone before they even realized it so Korra whipped out the cupcakes she had bought earlier. Noatak didn't see what was so special about them since the delicate pastries were a weekly treat of theirs after all, or of his to be more exact.

Early on in their relationship Korra had discovered his fondness for sweets and one day, after they bumped into each other as she returned from a meeting at city hall, she decided that they should go on a spontaneous picnic in the park –which is to say that she was hungry and couldn't wait until she got home –so they marched into the closest deli and practically stumbled on the foreign and unusual sweet confections. Ever since then the cupcakes from 'Ting's Deli' became a favorite and Korra would humor him and buy some every week.

"And here I thought you had something special planned for dessert." Noatak commented mockingly but not at all displeased as he allowed her to feed him a piece of his favorite passion fruit cupcake with generous amounts of frosting. It was an action he only allowed her to do in private because he secretly liked such interactions, he craved intimacy with others that he had denied himself for years, but he was not one for youthful displays of affection in public, not at his age and not unless it served a point.

"I do. I never said the cupcakes were the whole dessert." The Avatar chuckled with a mouth full of chocolate cupcake, he had tried to feed her just a little piece but she had bitten off a huge mouthful and had blue mint frosting on the corner of her mouth.

"Oh? You've piqued my curiosity." He leaned closer, invading her space to lick away that little dollop of icing from her cheek. He then raised a brow as he accepted another bite of the passion fruit confection.

"Ask nicely and maybe I'll show you." She grinned, licking her own lips expectantly.

"Very well." Noatak shifted even closer, planting a little kiss on her neck just under her ear before whispering- "Please show you what you're up to, Korra."

The Avatar all but purred and her smile spread even more, she was still amazed by how different and loving he could be in private when his shields were down seeing as his public persona still had much of Amon's stoic and holier-than-thou vibe. She pushed him away ever so slightly and stood fluidly, sashaying her way to the kitchen with a naughty expression; soon after, she returned with something covered in a dark green cloth.

"What do you have there, dear?" He enquired curiously as she set the covered bundle on the low table. By the shape he suspected it was some kind of bottle.

"You'll find out _after_ we're both good and naked." Rather than sit, Korra came to stand between his legs and winked playfully.

"As you wish, madam Avatar." Noatak didn't argue with sassy tone, in fact the corners of his lips twitched into a slight smile at that charming little wink of hers and in seconds he was deftly untying the knot that kept the fur pelt around her waist, tossing the garment aside with only enough care not to let it land on a candle.

Korra grabbed him by the collar of his coat and began tugging him up. She unbuckled his belt and snapped it off so quickly that it cracked like a whip before landing on the floor with a clatter, she then began to pop each of the buttons on his coat with restrained impatience until she could finally shove off the whole thing.

On his end, Noatak took his time peeling off her sleeves before allowing her to pull his whole charcoal shirt over his head without further ado, he was glad she didn't have to fumble with the leather gear and armor he used to wear his days as Amon. Not that he no longer wore anything of the sort, he still did when the occasion called for it, but at the moment they were going through a quiet phase and he was appreciating life as a civilian for the time being.

Before long the Avatar's shirt was gone too, leaving her in a practical navy blue brassiere that was nonetheless enticing if only for the way the silky fabric clung so smoothly to her bosom; then she got on her knees and began tugging off his pants inch by inch, grinning up at him naughtily throughout the process in a way that made his blood rush to his crotch. She made sure to tickle the sensitive spots behind his knees as she chucked away the pants and then surprised him by catching the edge of his undershorts between her teeth and tugging the garment off with her sky blue eyes boring into his the whole time as if in challenge. It was distractingly erotic and he had to clench his fists just to keep from touching her.

Once she was done stripping him down to nothing, Korra rose and pointed down, indicating that it was his turn, to which Noatak smirked ever so slightly at her bossy demeanor and knelt as well, enjoying the sight of her flawless dusky skin being revealed inch by slow inch as he pulled her cobalt pants down her hips and luscious thighs.

Noatak didn't get to do much more though, because she stopped him for a brief moment and he paused to watch as she unhooked her brassiere and tossed it off without a thought, not at all concerned by the way her voluptuous bosom bounced free, exposing smooth slopes of dark skin tipped with points as dark as bitter chocolate. Only then did the Avatar allow him to finish the task and he did so by mimicking her and using his teeth to drag her simple navy blue panties off her hips in the most provocative way possible. It was rewarding to see her breath hitch as she watched him.

"Now what, my dear?" Noatak wondered once they were 'good and naked', as she had put it. Neither one could stop staring at the other from head to toe and despite the wintry temperatures they were both quite warm with the fire blazing and casting tendrils of golden light all over their bodies.

"I was thinking we could enjoy a little nightcap." She chuckled and reached for the mysterious cloth, finally revealing what was underneath with a playful flourish- it was a strange large milky green and gold bottle.

"Shall I get the glasses then?" The equalist asked, well aware that that was not what she had in mind, though on his side he'd much rather lick the beverage right off her skin if he could.

"I have a better idea." Korra ripped the seal from the bottle and popped off the cork. She then took a long swig and stood on tiptoes to kiss him, pouring the foreign beverage into his mouth.

Noatak kissed back carefully but passionately, licking at the seam of her lips and sucking her tongue lightly, enjoying the taste of her mouth almost as much as he enjoy the unusual drink that tasted creamy and sweet and utterly innocent. Somehow they were both on their knees now and the kiss soon evolved into something hungrier and almost feral but he pulled back just long enough to sip some more liquid from the bottle in order to feed it to her this time, loving the way she gave a little approving moan when he coached the saccharine drink into her mouth as their lips mashed together, molding perfectly to one another with the ease of passion and desire.

Before things could get much more heated and, as if reading his earlier thought, Korra pulled away with great effort and lay back on the furry grey rug she had insisted on getting for the house. She was almost giggling with golden light dancing over her curves as she poured a small amount of the beverage onto the soft dip of her naval, the milky liquor glittered enticingly in the firelight and the Avatar beckoned him invitingly.

For a few fleeting seconds, Noatak was surprised but the astonishment melted into an approving growl almost immediately. He had long since learned that Korra was very experimental by nature and this was far from the strangest or kinkiest thing she'd come up with. When they first started getting intimate it was clear that she wasn't exactly inexperienced but she was also clearly still expanding her horizons so he wondered if her eagerness to try pretty much anything in bed was just a phase; he soon he realized that it wasn't, it was just part of who she was and he absolutely adored that wild side because it brought out his own hidden desires.

Noatak crawled over to her and, amused by the turn of events, leaned down to catch a whiff of fruity sweetness with an alcoholic tang. With a glance at her face, he began to slurp the drink off her body before lapping up the last dregs just as she started to drip little drops from her stomach towards her chest, he followed their trail with his tongue and then sucked at the tiny pool that she poured onto the hollow of her throat before he began to kiss and nip sensually up her neck.

"Interesting choice… Quite delicious." Noatak murmured into her ear before nibbling at the lobe.

"I thought you'd like it." Korra bit her lip sensuously at the sensations and at the goosebumps his whispered tone conjured on her skin.

"And why's that?" He wondered, raising himself onto his elbows in order to look her in the eye.

"You have the biggest sweet tooth I've ever seen." The Avatar teased, grinning widely enough to show her pearly teeth.

"Perhaps that explains my addiction to you." The equalist snickered lightly and planted a little kiss on her plump lips.

Korra laughed at the remark, it was absolutely _not_ a girly sound but it was warm and delightful, it did strange things to Noatak and made him feel drunker than any amount of alcohol ever could. He never once imagined he'd love that laughter more than the sound of his own voice but he did.

When her laughter finally simmered down, the Avatar sat up with a cheeky grin and suddenly raised her hand to her own breasts, squeezing them together and lifting to form a dimple on her cleavage into which she poured more of the creamy drink. Noatak took the invitation at once, sipping the majority of the liquor and then lapping up the rest from her from her mounds, following little trails down to her nipples to suck and nip those tender points until Korra moaned and arched her back to feed herself to him wantonly.

The delectable sounds she made were addicting and he was not yet finished placing marks on her supple breasts when the Avatar pushed him away with an aroused flush to her cheeks, her breath coming in heated puffs and her pupils dilated with lust. Spirits, she was beautiful.

Korra sat up with her legs pressed together and her knees bent slightly and, before Noatak could ask what she was up to, the Avatar was pouring creamy liquor onto her knees, allowing it to dribble down her thighs before it puddled on the cup formed right at the apex of her sex. She then licked the rim of the bottle and gave him a taunting smile.

Noatak arched a brow with an amused smile dancing on his lips at the obvious invitation. In no time at all he was at her side and licking a slow sensual trail up her thighs before lapping the milky beverage, never once breaking eye contact with the mischievous Avatar.

Once the majority of the liquid was consumed, he coached her into parting her legs and settled between them to nip and lick her inner thighs clean of all the sticky sweet remnants of the drink, his mouth trailing down to a pronounced dimple where her leg met her torso… Spirits, how he loved to feel the strength and power in those thighs around him- around his head, around his hands, around his hips…

The sweetness of the drink was deceptive, Noatak hadn't detected the taste of alcohol in it at all under the sweetness but as he began to worship the most intimate part of his lover's body with skilled lips and a teasing tongue, he realized how warm and overly relaxed he was starting to feel, proving that there was indeed alcohol in play and it was already corroding his self-control.

Still dazed with thoughts about those powerful legs of hers that he gripped with his hands, vaguely noticing the contrast of their skin tones, Noatak placed a long teasing lick along her folds, watching as Korra spread her legs wider in the most demanding manner which made the petals of her sex part further on their own accord like some exotic blossoming flower to reveal a glistening dark interior.

Korra squeaked when equalist's tongue glided along her slick heated flesh as if savoring and enjoying the flavor of her honey almost as much as that of the alcohol she had been feeding him. His lips latched onto the swollen little pearl that made her tremble and moan. Her hands slipped into his hair with her nails almost digging into his scalp, pulling him closer to that his wide shoulders split her legs apart even further while he sucked leisurely on that sensitive bundle of nerves, his tongue lashing against it rhythmically in mind-numbing infinity symbols that shot sparks of sensation through her whole body.

Between gasps and moans that he found absolutely lyrical, the Avatar murmured some lust-driven profanity under her breath and his name spilled in a shaky cry as her hips bucked and arched up to meet him, her whole body trembling from the intense sensations that had graduated from a steady current into a crashing wave of overwhelming pleasure. All through that explosive wave, he continued to suck and tease, carrying her through the climax until she was panting and squirming to get away.

By the time Noatak finally pulled back enough to lick his lips and survey her with a burning gaze, Korra looked drunk , not on alcohol but on lust- her eyes were heavy lidded, her dusky cheeks were a dark rosy hue, her breathing was rapid and her hair was adorably disheveled.

"Delicious." The equalist teased with another lick and a slightly goofy grin that wouldn't have been present if not for the alcohol.

He watched her blush even further before she recovered her bearings enough to sit up, pushing him down so suddenly that Noatak had no choice but go along with it and let her pin him to the rug. Just the feeling of her strong curvaceous body over his, of her light weight and heated skin, made him hungry; he was already so aroused that a certain part of his anatomy was standing at attention like an angry exclamation point but feeling her crawl over him and sensing the hidden strength in her powerful frame just made him feel like a rubber band pulled much too taut and on the verge of snapping.

"My turn." Korra chuckled and raised the bottle by its neck to emphasize her words.

"I'm afraid I don't have as many delectable curves to drink from as you do." Noatak retorted impishly.

"I'll manage." She stuck out her tongue cheekily and sat up to pour a tiny amount of liquid onto the hollow of his throat.

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from moving when she pressed her heated body down to his, her breasts crushed to his chest, her hips flush against his and his cock trapped between while she sloppily lapped up the liquor only to then start kissing and sucking up his throat to mirror his earlier actions much more harshly, determined to plant little loving bruises and bites all over his neck. Korra was rough but Noatak loved it, he would never admit it but he liked when she marked him so possessively.

The Avatar reached his ear and nipped softly on the shell just to hear his sharp little intake of breath before she kissed him hungrily and demandingly, mashing their lips together almost forcefully and thrusting her tongue into his mouth to taste, claim and explore with unrivaled passion. The kiss tasted sweet with a salty hint of her own honey and Korra found that she liked the combination more than she had ever expected.

Only when they could no longer get enough air did the kiss break but Korra lingered, sucking lazily on his lower lip as if it a particularly tasty bit of candy- by the time she let go her lips tingled and his looked red and swollen in the most distracting manner that was made even more distracting by the way Noatak was staring her, his dark hair mused and his eyes almost burning with unrestrained heat and pupils so dilated that the black practically ate away the icy blue of his irises.

She loved when he looked at her that way, she adored the intensity and hunger of that gaze and the sensation it gave off that seemed like reverence mixed with challenge, it made her feel powerful.

Looks like those, moments like those, were the reasons Korra had gotten so addicted to her former enemy in the first place. He could be so prickly and distant and self-righteous but in those moments he surrendered to her, she broke past the invisible mask he wore, past the barriers he erected around everyone, and he stared at her as if she were the goddess in the flesh… Well, she kind of was, but the point was that he looked at her that way not because she was the Avatar or because part of her soul was a primordial Light Spirit, he gazed at her that way because he saw more than her bending, he saw the woman behind the Avatar, he saw things nobody else could see, not even Korra herself, and his desire to worship everything about her always made her heart swell in her chest.

With an amorous sigh she sat up, straddling him, perfectly aware of the way the sensitive and rather slippery petals of her sex pressed temptingly over the achingly hard length of his cock. She then began to pour little splashes of the sweet drink onto the center Noatak's chest, watching it trickled along every groove of his chiseled muscles in the most mesmerizing way.

The liquor was bound to drip quickly onto the rug and leave him sticky but she twirled her fingers over his skin in feather light touches and the liquid, although still rippling along every dip and dimple of his torso, seemed to magically keep itself from spilling away, allowing the Avatar to simply bend over and follow each little trickle's path with her tongue as if mapping out each line of his sculpted chest and chocolate bar abs.

"Korra…" Noatak muttered warningly, trying to be reproachful of her little display of bending though his voice came out strangled and husky and almost desperate. A tiny corner of his brain also wondered how on earth she could waterbend something that was more alcohol than it was water.

"Oh shush." Korra scolded playfully and, just to tease and silence him, bent a blob of the creamy drink right out of the bottle and into his mouth.

She watched his throat bob as he swallowed and was satisfied when he stopped so much as trying to argue, instead his hands crept up her strong caramel thighs and caressed up her heart shaped rear while she continued to lick his skin clean of the sweet fruity substance. She lingered on the dark little disks of his nipples, lapping slowly and nipping just this side of too hard in order to make him gasp and arch his back ever so slightly while his hand clawed into the flesh of her buttocks in a harsh little squeeze that made her wriggle against him.

Korra couldn't help but giggle when she sat straight again and Noatak wondered how in the world she was being so patient, so slow and controlled, when she was usually impetuous, feisty and impatient in her passion. As much as the Avatar loved to tease and play games, she also had very little self-restraint and yet this time she seemed to be more than willing to take things slower than usual so long as it made him squirm. The giggling was also uncharacteristic and strangely arousing but he chalked that up to the alcohol affecting her as well.

Noatak had a feeling she wanted him to beg, Korra always loved to see him loose his precious restraint and plead for more, and he was sure he would do just that soon enough if she kept this up, especially with alcohol involved.

After a moment of thought, Korra knelt between his legs and grabbed the bottle once again; she took a long swig of drink, swallowing slowly and letting a tiny creamy trickle slide down her chin and drip onto her chest. He wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose to buy time and tease him with the wait or if she was actually savoring the sweet liquor to her heart's content.

She caught him staring, watching the little spill that fell from her lips before she wiped it with the back of her hand, his eyes were half-lidded and his jaw was set as if it was taking a huge amount of restraint to keep himself from pinning her down and taking control. The Avatar smirked at this and decided to help him with his struggle- with slow precise movements of her arms, the steel cuttlery they had been using on the cupcakes earlier suddenly became a shapeless blob that hurled onto Noatak's wrists before pulling them up over his head as firmly as any pair of handcuffs but not tight enough to bite into the skin and hurt, the position left him vulnerable and flexed his muscles in the most delightful way.

"You're going too far, Avatar." Noatak growled his disapproval but he didn't struggle, in fact, despite his sulky attitude towards the metalbending he seemed more aroused than ever by the restrained pose. But that didn't surprise her, it was one of the reasons they were so good together- they both had kink streaks a mile wide that nobody else she had ever met could possibly handle.

"Am I? And what are you going to do about it, Mr Big-Bad-Equalist?" Korra mocked and lifted the bottle to pour liberal amounts of the beverage directly over his hard throbbing shaft that already oozed droplets of its own brand of cream. It made him shiver and hiss under his breath though she continued to speak with a soft giggle. "'Cause I don't you see you trying to stop me."

Noatak opened his mouth to deliver a snippy reply but whatever he was going to say died on his tongue and morphed into a groan when the Avatar leaned closer to lick his shaft from base to tip, savoring the strange mix of sweet liquor and bitter fluids. Korra found that she licked that combination.

With another tipsy giggle, she began to lick all over his sensitive flesh, mapping his entire length with casual twirls of her tongue before it darted playfully around the tip of his cock in an almost ticklish caress. Before long her plump lips were wrapped around him, sucking indolently and just a little harshly, allowing her teeth to ghost over the heated skin with every other little motion of her head. All the while she stared right at him with provocative eyes, loving the helpless look on his face before the sensations became too much and he began to arch to her, struggling with the metallic bind, eyes fluttering closed and his head tipped back.

Under his breath Noatak was murmuring something repeatedly and desperately and Korra pulled away just enough so that, between teasing licks, she could sassily ask- "What was that? I can't quite hear you all the way over here."

Noatak groaned, his face and ears flushed with more than just arousal and his eyes still mostly closed, he shuddered with each lick she inflicted on him. "…Please… Please, Korra…" He begged a little louder and quite lasciviously.

"Please? Please, what?" The Avatar giggled once more, sucking ever so lightly along his throbbing shaft.

"You know what!" He almost growled but it ended in a needy gasp.

"Maybe. But I want to hear you say it, old man." This time she placed her hand on his shaft, flattening it lightly against his body in order to rub in a slow rhythmic caress designed to drive the equalist insane.

Noatak grit his teeth and clenched his fists with nails biting into his own palms, clearly fighting for some shred of self-control, he took a shaky breath before staring at her with pale pleading eyes and a red face. "Please let me have more. Let me have you."

"Me?" The Avatar cocked a brow and smirked slightly, never stopping her slow teasing touches. "How so? What do you want? Be specific."

His ice-colored eyes narrowed and something resembling a pout began to form on his features, nonetheless he steeled his resolved and, without an ounce of shame, said- "I want you to stop teasing me and let me fuck that sweet little cunt of yours until you scream and cum all over my cock."

This time both of Korra's brows rose a little as her eyes widened but she wasn't surprised, she was impressed. Impressed and aroused too, maybe even a little flustered, those blunt dirty words made heat bloom all over her body and her stomach did an excited little flip while her cheeks darkened further.

"I get the feeling I'll be the one making you scream, old man." Korra chuckled as she crawled over his body again, licking a straight path all the way up his torso towards his throat and then up his jaw before her lips hovered just an inch from his mouth. Her skin was now practically glued to his with her powerful thighs straddling his hips once more.

"Or we both scream." Noatak murmured heatedly, pressing up just enough to steal a hungry kiss from her lips.

"Both is good." The Avatar agreed between devouring kisses though her words trailed off into a moan when he tilted his pelvis and found an angle that made his achingly stiff cock grind between her drenched folds and bump right up against her sensitive swollen pearl in a way that made her feel like sparks were flickering under the surface of her skin.

Korra couldn't take it anymore, she was done taking things slow, he wanted more and she wanted to give him more, she wanted to give him everything… Except for his freedom, it was too much fun to have him helpless and restrained under her, besides, even though he was clearly aching to touch her, she knew that he enjoyed this scenario too.

Only a third of the amarula liqueur was left in the bottle but Korra took another sip and once again shared it with Noatak in a hungry kiss that spilled more of the drink than anything else because their tongues were too busy wrestling in a sensual challenge. Meanwhile, the Avatar's hand trailed down her lover's body to grasp at the hard velvety flesh of his shaft, guiding it to her entrance before she sank down onto it in one slow but fluid move that made them both groan into each other's mouths.

At last Korra broke the wet kiss and sat up with the most shameless grin, she ran her hand through her messy loose hair to pull it back and shifted her hips experimentally. A little moan of pleasure spilled from her lips and before she even made a conscious decision to do anything more, her body was already moving so that she began to ride him at a deep but deliberately slow pace, reveling in the feeling of being so completely filled the man she loved.

And she did love him, it had taken her a long time to understand her own feelings after despising and fearing him for so long, it had been so confusing when she began to feel her emotions changing and sometimes it was still jarring to think about how much their dynamic had been altered but nowadays she knew she loved him.

Who cares that he was older and secretive? She found him handsome and intriguing just the same and couldn't care less that their lifespans were a little incompatible; she wasn't one to dwell on worries about the future after all. Who cares that they had a convoluted past? The fact they had managed to overcome it and find passion in each other just proved the strength of their feelings and their willingness to compromise. Who cares that they had been on opposite sides of a war? He understood things about her that nobody else ever would, things about the pressure of her role, about being groomed to be something without a say in the matter, about having the fate of many in her hands, about having unparalleled power and the responsibility that came with it. Who cares that they had once hurt each other? They had forgiven one another and found something much more important than resentment to hold on to and she knew she'd trust him with her life if she had to even if the rest of the world called her naïve for it because in the end she was an impulsive bleeding heart that chased love without regrets no matter what the consequences and lived in the moment... And at the moment all she wanted was to make love.

Noatak couldn't help but groan low his throat at her provocative movements but he couldn't take her eyes of her either, she was just so damn perfect- the way her hair twisted around her young face and fell down her shoulders like waves of molten chocolate, or how her dusky skin seemed gilded in the firelight and her sculpted curvaceous physique made her look like something out of his dreams, the way her supple breasts swayed hypnotically with each rise and fall of her body, her lustful sky-colored eyes looking into him as if she could she could see a hidden part of his soul, her plump lips that she licked seductively just before she gave him that little confident grin of hers… She was gorgeous and not just her body, so much so that sometimes he felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest when he remembered that once upon a time he had wanted to destroy her.

Others might see flaws in her, some had called overly buff for a woman or short or had simply critiqued her style, temperament and hot-blooded attitude but Noatak saw no flaws, not anymore. Sure, sometimes her blatant abuse of bending still irked him and some of her more naïve political opinions did too but that just meant that their relationship was solid without illusions about each other, in the overall nothing could overshadow the parts of her that he loved.

And he did love her, from the moment he had first seen her he had been intrigued and that interest had become obsession when he still strived to see her as the enemy, as anything but human, a monster to defeat; but after finding her again after all he had lost he acquired a new perspective and the old obsession became something new, something just addictive but sweeter and brighter, and although he had told himself time and time again that they were a terrible match, that their past was too complicated, that their ages were too incompatible, that their ideals still clashed, he couldn't bring himself to care because deep down he was a selfish man and she had become the one thing he wanted most in the world.

The love between them was almost palpable at that moment where their bodies melded and hazy minds raced through thoughts of affection and admiration, it was like a bittersweet thread cutting through the cloud of lust and coiling around them, tying them together without escape. Yet, the lust won out at the moment because before long their tipsy forms were singing a breathless tune of pleasure so mind-numbing that all awareness and thought were driven out of their heads and replaced with the shameless single-minded pursuit of more passion.

With each relentless thrust, Korra moaned and made almost musical sounds that couldn't quite be defined with words but that Noatak was addicted too completely. He wasn't quite silent himself either and the Avatar was acutely attuned his groans and those little gasps that were mostly pleasure but tinted with the frustration of not being able to reach for her with his hands.

Suddenly, Noatak's body was moving and it took him a full five seconds to realize that she was metalbending his restraints so that they pulled him along until he was sitting and his arms had fallen around her, his wrists still bound to each other but now resting at the small of her back. It was a delicious opportunity, his movements were still limited but at last he could touch and gain just a tiny bit of control which he did by groping her perfect heart-shaped rear once more and pulling her body flush to his, holding her so close her breasts grinded deliciously to his hard chest and her forehead pressed to his, their breaths mingling as she held onto his shoulders and the pace of their undulating movements picked up considerably.

There was a thin sheen of perspiration forming on their skin, gluing them together rather sensually, and the smell of alcohol, sweetness and sex permeated the air- it was heady mix but for some reason it felt right.

They kissed again, or tried to because no matter how much she wanted to taste his lips Korra kept moaning and breaking the lip-lock. To make up for her lack of focus, she grabbed the bottle and poured more of the sweet liquor onto her chest, pushing up her breasts just enough for Noatak to bury his face in them and lick away all traces of the sticky beverage, using it as an excuse to suck her luscious mounds, flicking the stiff points with his tongue and biting just sharply enough to make her squeak with her head tossed back as they continued to move in harsh strokes.

At some point Noatak's mouth trailed up to her throat in heated kisses and he murmured more in tone of command than request. "Release me, Korra… Please…"

He almost expected her to deny him, she had done so many times before, but at the moment she seemed too far gone to care and with a sharp but careless motion of her hand the metal around his wrists fell off and landed on the rug with a thump.

Noatak hummed his approval and his large calloused hands travelled up her thighs and hips before settling at her waist and then the world was spinning and Korra was flat on her back, feeling the soft ticklish fur of the rug against her skin. They hadn't disconnected but now that he had taken control, their movements were slower once more just for the time it took his hands to map out her whole body before sliding down her arms to lace this fingers together above her head, their lips locked into a devoured kiss all over again.

The rhythm of their lovemaking suddenly picked up during that lip-lock, so much that the Avatar moaned into his mouth and their lips broke apart with an ephemeral strand of saliva bowing between them before fading into nothing. She was squeezing his hands and arching up to meet him thrust for thrust, her dazed eyes locked on his with a blend of passion and defiance so delectable that he couldn't look away even if he knew that the sky blue intensity of her eyes would make him blind.

Noatak eventually let go of her hands but only so one of his could comb her hair from her face and trail down beneath her rear to tilt her pelvis so that he could reach deeper into her silky slippery depths. One of Korra's legs wrapped around his waist almost immediately to draw him closer and the other tangled around his thigh, it was a slightly awkward angle but seemed to please her immensely and Noatak wasn't going to complain because it allowed his free hand access to slip between their bodies tease the little swollen pearl right above the point where they were so lecherously connected.

The new sensations that he was sparking in her, like a jagged tide of hot electrical pleasure, made Korra cry out over and over and over although what she was almost screaming was nearly incomprehensible except for the occasional plead, profanity, endearment or mostly the broken sound of his name on her tongue, and all the while her hands had migrated to his back, nails sinking into his skin for purchase and clawing at his shoulders hard enough to leave a mesh of angry red streaks.

Noatak didn't mind, quite the contrary, he loved every second of it- watching Korra loose her bearings and act on instinct like a wild creature in heat was one of the most beautiful things he could ever wish to experience and it didn't hurt that the sharp painful rake of her nails and the lascivious sound of his name on her lips only intensified his own lust. Before long his pace had grown almost frantic and his head was bowed onto her shoulder while breathless moans tore their way out of his throat too.

He wanted to urge the Avatar to just give in to pleasure and let herself climax, he wanted to see it and couldn't really hold himself back much longer, the dirty and sensual words were right on the tip of his tongue but before he even had time to say them Korra was already clinging tighter to him and screaming something completely unintelligible as the sensations finally overwhelmed her and pleasure crashed on her like a tidal wave that washed her brain clean of any thought, overwhelming all her senses at once, causing her body to thrash wildly in his arms.

Even if he had wanted to Noatak couldn't have held back after that, normally he would have drawn things out, he would watched her loose herself over and over and over before he let things end but between the slow build up of expectation, the alcohol and Korra's own passion, he just couldn't hold back any longer. Her body felt too good against his, her voice was too hypnotic, her sex too constrictive and rippling much too enticingly around his cock and before he knew it Noatak had both arms wrapped around her, practically crushing her body to his as his rhythm build to a peak and with a sound that was more akin to a low roar than anything remotely human, he let the taut coil of pleasure finally snap inside him and spilled himself into her.

They weren't sure how long it took for the static to fade from their hearing, for the air to return to their lungs, for their thoughts to suddenly become coherent again and their tense forms to unwind but slowly, sluggishly, they rolled until Noatak was on his back with the Avatar draped against his side, both of them lying together in a tangle of limbs and Korra's head somehow ended up pillowed onto his chest.

The sound of panting was only broken by the slight crackling noises of the dying fire but for Korra there was also the racing thrum of his heart under ear, not that hers was much better- he couldn't hear it but with his bending he could sense it racing as they lay there, basking in afterglow and still much too warm and mellow from the alcoholic buzz.

"We need a bath." Korra purred out of nowhere after a while once they had caught their breaths, he had almost thought she had dozed off until she spoke.

"Later." Noatak was not willing to shatter the lackadaisical mood they were in.

"We'll fall asleep if we don't go now." She chuckled softly, also disinclined to leave his arms and enjoying the way he was unconsciously playing with her hair. To be frank, nothing would have pleased her more than to let his heartbeat lull her to sleep right there on that furry rug in front of the dying embers of the fire, she could handle the stickiness after they woke up, she wanted to share a hot long soak in the tub with him.

"Later." He repeated without a care in the world, clearly on the same page as Korra, it was a rare mood for him and one that they were both happy to take advantage off.

Korra could almost purr with how content she felt snuggled to his larger form, heedless of the dampness of their skins, and Noatak was equally relaxed with his eyes closed while he continued to play with her hair. She was practically drifting off when she caught sight of a little green glint from the corner of her eye.

"I guess I'll have to buy more of that, huh?" The Avatar beamed and, when he looked at her, she nodded lightly towards the bottle that lay discarded and almost empty a couple of feet away.

"Yes." Noatak chuckled lightly. "But perhaps next time we should show a little more restraint. I'm afraid we went a little overboard."

"Hm… Or maybe we could try something else?" Korra suggested mischievously. "I wouldn't mind painting myself with chocolate or honey for you lick off next time."

"Sounds delicious." The equalist agreed, flashing her a lazy smirk.

"You and your sweet tooth." She teased, not entirely referring to his fondness of sugar as much as his fondness of their activities.

"I can't help be addicted to sweet things." Noatak continued to smirk and his fingers left her hair to trace a line down her spine. "You should know."

"Why's that?" Korra shivered slightly at the feather-light touches.

"Because, young Avatar, you happen to be sweetest thing in the world to me." He stated, without a single shred of sarcasm or embarrassment. She had no idea he pulled off saying things like that so straight-faced.

"Careful, Amon." The Avatar's tone was filled with playful warning. "People might start thinking you're just a sappy old man."

"And if I am?" He enquired just a good-humoredly.

"Then you're _my_ sappy old man." Korra smiled and reached up just enough so her soft plump lips could press and mold to his luscious stern mouth in sweet kiss that promised so much more…

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

(A/N: This did NOT go as planned. It was just supposed to be pwp but turned into something… More. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it. I also had a much, MUCH, darker idea for this prompt but decided to save it for some other time.

Just so you know, Amarula is actually a real alcoholic drink from my home country of South Africa (copyright of the name goes to them xD). It's made from fermented marula fruit along with cream and sugar and it's sweet in a fruity caramel sort of way and totally delicious. FYI, the marula tree is also called the Elephant Tree or _Marriage Tree_ so I thought it was appropriate.)


	2. Day 2 - Film

Amorra Week 2015- Day 2 

Prompt: Film

Rating: M

Summary: Korra gets kinky during a date. _Very_ kinky.

Note: Once again- I'm doing my prompts out of order. This is a continuation of Day 1 and takes place a while later, it's also technically 'Day 3' because i posted 'Day 2' as art.

Words: 7,753

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

She couldn't stop humming. Throughout the day everyone around her noticed and remarked on how chipper the Avatar seemed but Korra just couldn't stop humming to herself and grinning from ear to ear no matter how much she tried to brush it off. And she did want to brush it off because the reason for her good mood wasn't exactly something she could openly discuss.

When questioned about it further, she cryptically stated that she had a date, though nobody could really figure out what was so amusing about going out with her current beau, mostly because not many people approved of their romance and nobody thought him capable of having fun but Korra stated that they just lacked imagination.

Speaking of imagination, she had to congratulate herself for her creativity this time, she was pretty sure the date was going to be a night to remember… If she pulled it off, that is.

As two particularly 'open-minded' people in bed with rather intense personalities, Noatak and Korra had recently found some balance between them in a bit of an unspoken agreement. Sometimes they still had their little power struggles but most of the time they alternated- he would take charge and she would be delighted to play along and then some other day she'd be in control and he'd submit to her whims. It was an interesting routine, if it could be called such, and helped them learn more about each other.

That day Korra was excited because it was her turn to call the shots and though she was starting to suspect that he preferred it that way but she couldn't help but enjoy those moments when he took command too; nonetheless, she had the naughtiest idea all planned out, it was something that they had only vaguely mentioned before but it had stuck with her.

Twirling in front of the mirror, the Avatar found that she liked what she saw even though her current look wasn't something she would normally choose to wear; then again, it was perfect for the night she had in mind.

Wearing skirts was something she only did once or twice a year if the occasion called for it but this time she chose a knee-length ash-blue skirt simply because it made things easier, to go with it she wore opaque navy blue stockings and leather pumps instead of her usual fur boots, the top part of her outfit was also distinctly out of character since she wasn't wearing a high collar but rather a generously low round-neck navy tunic with white tassels, cuff bracelets that matched her stockings and a crimson and gold waist sash.

Korra paused for a moment to review her plan while she pulled all her hair into a ponytail that she then weaved into a braid. The idea was exceedingly simple but there was one aspect about it that was… tricky. Not that it would stop her now that she had made up her mind, she was going to drive her lover crazy one way or the other.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door and the Avatar startled slightly before she turned to open it, fully aware of who would be standing on the other side.

Noatak seemed concerned that she was taking so long but as soon as he saw her, his worried questions died halfway out of his mouth and he simply stared at her, taking in the lovely look that was just different and provocative enough to stun him. Korra grinned at his expression and opened the door more fully, giving him a little provocative twirl.

To be frank he looked quite delectable himself in a dark grey suit with a fitted maroon vest and charcoal shirt with matching leather boots, his hair remained combed back as always though his face, usually as stoic as if carved in granite, was currently filled with fascination and appreciation.

"And here I thought you were incapable of wearing anything feminine." The equalist remarked with a ghostly smile.

"If it's that strange I can always put my pants back on and we can forget the whole thing." She spoke in tone of warning and pouted, already reaching for her folded slacks that rested on a stool by the sink.

"No!" He grabbed her by the shoulder abruptly but then realized how desperate he sounded and cleared his throat, letting go and attempting to sound dignified. "I mean, no, it's not strange. You look lovely."

"Why, thank you, kind sir." Korra retorted mockingly and reached up to place a peck on his cheek before offering him her arm. "Shall we go?"

"That's my move." Noatak joked but accepted her chivalrous gesture.

"Not today." She grinned and pulled him away towards the door, pausing only briefly so they could pocket their things.

The first stop was rather plain- they chose a small but pleasant restaurant that had become a favorite recently, it was called Dragon Nest and served some something akin to Fire Nation comfort food. In a few minutes they were settled in a little table in the corner of the eatery, sipping on jasmine tea while they waited for their orders; soft strings of music filled the space and the scent of spices floated in the air, crimson walls and cream decorations gave a warm feel to the place and every table had a tiny arrangement of bright yellow flowers.

By the time the food arrived, which consisted on a complex array of small dishes on a tray for each of them, Noatak asked what she had in mind for the evening. Korra chewed a bit of spiced orange rice and tapped her fingers onto her lips as if considering whether or not to tell him, meanwhile she had slipped her feet out of her pumps and started running the tips of her toes against his legs in a playfully casual manner, that was the only reason she had even considered wearing those shoes after all.

If he noticed her little game of footsie Noatak didn't say anything about it, but he did expect a reply and stared at her pointedly as he sipped on his drink and waited so, with one of her feet rubbing against his calf like a spoiled cat, the Avatar decided to tell him that all she wanted was to go watch a new mover at the theater.

The request surprised him more than her touches under the table, he had been expecting something more… Well, something more creative and less innocent. Korra had been hinting at having some grand plan to tease him and so he was taken aback by such a safe and casual suggestion but he accepted without complaint though still eyeing her with suspicion throughout the whole meal.

At some point Korra started turning red from the intense spiciness of the particularly hot dish she had chosen and the ensuing bickering about how she needed to learn not to go overboard with things she wasn't accustomed to, redirected his attention. And yet, even as they argued and she drank his tea as well as hers, Noatak was still acutely aware of the way her foot was slowly inching up until it was between his thighs though it never went much further than that even when he expected as much.

And then dessert came along and the argument ended abruptly, as did the touching, because neither of them liked quarreling more than they liked pepper-spiced chocolate cake with cold vanilla custard, the sweet flavors practically scrubbed the confrontational words right off their tongues.

Korra almost forgot her plan as she savored her dessert, only when her feet started to feel cold on the wooden floor did she remember what she had been doing and when that happened her foot was suddenly grazing up his leg again and this time he landed right over his crotch, rubbing ever so lightly while she bit into more cake to suppress a grin when his whole form stiffened and he sat a little straighter.

"Korra…" Noatak hissed forebodingly under his breath.

"Hm?" She hummed while licking her spoon, looking completely innocent even though the sole of her foot was still grinding on rather sensitive spots of his anatomy.

"What do you think you're doing?" He glared, trying hard not to be distracted by the sight of her tongue catching bits of pale custard off the shiny spoon.

"Finishing my dessert." The Avatar announced just as she swallowed her last bite of cake and scrapped at the last bits of cream.

"You know that's not what I mean." Noatak huffed a little frustrated, his ears seemed to be turning pink and he shifted a little awkwardly in his seat.

"What _do_ you mean then?" Korra enquired with a slightly predatory smile.

"I…" The equalist began his reply only for her to cut him off immediately.

"Oh, would you look at the time!" The Avatar waved at a wall clock on the other side of the room, speaking loudly enough to catch the attention of a waiter and make Noatak tense a little more. "We should get going or we'll miss the next mover."

With that, Korra's feet returned to the floor, she slipped her shoes back on and stood up with a bright smile, waiting for Noatak to recover his bearings and join her. She was delighted to notice that he was having a bit of a hard time concealing a slight bulge in his pants as he paid the tab and they left and, once outside, he had to take a long calming breath of cool spring air before he could finally look like his usual stoic self again.

As if nothing had happened, the Avatar grabbed her lover's hand and began steering him towards his satomobile; once inside, they roamed down busy roads until they reached the mover theater, grateful to find a nearby parking space. Korra actually congratulated herself for choosing to go through with her plan on a week day since it was clear that the theater wasn't all that busy as it would be on weekends or holidays.

Noatak expected her to choose one of the new action movers on display or maybe even the new comedy that Bolin had been talking about a few days before but instead Korra chose the last thing he would ever imagine from her- a romantic musical. She claimed she just wanted it for the music and because the protagonists were supposed to be two enemies drawn together thus mirroring their own relationship but he wasn't sure he believed her since she had always been bored to tears by romantic tales.

Nonetheless, he bought the tickets as she requested and fifteen minutes later they were settled in the back row of a mover room and he was holding a paper bucket of buttered pumpkorn from which the Avatar would snack from every other minute. The room wasn't very crowded, either the mover wasn't popular enough or there just weren't many people showing up during work days, only about a third of the seats were filled and mostly by couples or small groups of teenage girls and nobody else had thought to choose a spot on the back row like Korra had.

As soon as the theater went dark and the first crackle of sound from the speakers began to fill the space, Noatak started to get an uneasy feeling; he wasn't sure what it was but he was certain that Korra was up to something, so sure that when she reached to pluck more pumpkorn from the basket he couldn't help but stare at her, luckily she made no comment since her eyes were fixed on the gigantic screen ahead.

To Noatak's surprise the mover started out mildly interesting, it was set in some exotic fantasy land and the protagonists were intriguing and humorous rather than as vapid as he had imagined. The equalist was actually starting to get somewhat engaged in the story by the time the first song rolled by and that was when Korra made her a move.

The Avatar's hand hovered his way, he assumed she was reaching for the basket but her hand fell short and landed on his lap, he tensed for a second but then she appeared to notice her mistake and reached for the snacks instead as if nothing has happened.

Five minutes later it happened again but this time she glanced around the whole room, as if wondering if anyone had noticed, before popping some pumpkorn in her mouth and returning her attention to the screen for a while. That was when his suspicions came back in double- she was definitely up to something.

Noatak kept his eyes on the mover but from the periphery of his sight he watched the Avatar, noticing her expressions and following the movements of her hand and the way her luscious lips parted to receive another snack; at one time she seemed so distracted that a piece of pumpkorn missed her mouth and landed onto her cleavage, he watched it roll down between her breasts so that she was forced to tug the edge of her tunic down far too much in order to fish it out for a moment before looking back at the screen. Something felt off about the little scene but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The second song, some angry tune between the female protagonist and a love rival, started with a rather loud cacophony of sound but Noatak was only paying a fraction of attention to it because that was when Korra's hand landed on his lap behind the bucket again, except this time she didn't pull it away at once, instead she began to lazily pet the spot between his legs.

"Korra!" The equalist admonished in a soft hiss that was practically drowned by the music.

"Shh, I'm trying to watch." She shot back in a whisper, grinning impishly.

Noatak wanted to argue but decided not to, instead he grit his teeth and took a deep breath, fighting to keep his face neutral and composed while she continued to pet and rub in the most distracting manner for several minutes that felt much too long to him. He was actually starting to wonder where she was going with this when Korra pulled her hand away and leaned carelessly back in her seat, eating pumpkorn and watching the mover, as if nothing had happened.

By then, Noatak was sure she wouldn't give up that easily so it was very hard to pay any attention whatsoever to the story when he kept expecting the Avatar's hand to tease him again. Every time she moved or reached for the snacks he'd tense and, if the little smile playing on her lips was any indication, she had him exactly where she wanted.

Eventually Korra did touch him again but only in the sense that she leaned to him with her head on his shoulder like any other loving couple in the room, she also demanded that he drape his arm around her which he did, both because he wanted to and because he thought not doing so would be too conspicuous. Yet, as comfortable as the intimate pose was, he couldn't relax because her fingers were slowly inching up his thigh and when they reached their destination her hand lingered long enough that he couldn't help but react- his face remained calm with some effort but under her touches he had become so aroused that his trousers were now uncomfortably tight.

And then she pulled her hand away once more and entertained herself snuggling against him, eating pumpkorn and humming along with whatever song the people on the screen were singing. She was so close that he could feel the curve of her bosom against his side, the heat that radiated from her body and smell the warm cinnamon-tinted scent of her hair.

Noatak was starting to get frustrated, very much so. Fantasies were starting to come alive in his brain and now that there was a very hard ridge in his pants to prove how affected he was, the Avatar seemed to be having fun keeping him on toes by reaching out to touch him intimately every few minutes only to then stop and pretend to be fully focused on the mover.

It was driving him insane and he actually considered grabbing Korra and leaving to find some place more private… And yet for some reason he couldn't move, he was rooted to his seat.

Part of him felt cornered and wanted to escape, it kept him glancing around cautiously, yet the rest of him found this forbidden situation so enticing that he could almost feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins like liquid heat and he craved more of it.

«Don't act like some teenage fool. This is not wise, it's not worth the risk of getting caught.» Noatak lectured himself silently but even as the thought formed in his mind it already lacked conviction and felt faint under a thick layer of arousal.

A sudden flash of light from some explosion happening on the mover caught his eye, interrupting his internal debate, but his distraction didn't last long because suddenly the Avatar's fingers were back and they were doing a lot more than caressing this time- she slowly unbuckled his belt, popped open the buttons on his pants and her hand slipped in and under the waistband of his underwear to grasp him firmly, and all the while she kept facing forward nonchalantly.

Her fingers were cool against his heated rigid skin, Noatak had bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself to gasping but soon it became even harder not to react because before he could protest, Korra had coached his cock right out of his clothes so that it stood at attention in the darkened room, concealed only by the basket of pumpkorn in front of it.

The Avatar didn't let him go but she glanced around momentarily, checking for any nosy voyeurs though she found none, nobody was quite within earshot of them and everyone was too focused on the raucous mover to really care what the rest of the spectators were doing. Yet, Noatak still grabbed her wrist and gave her a sharp look of warning that she deliberately ignored, in fact she shook her hand free and snickered before taking hold of his feverish erection all over again.

The equalist ended up grinding his teeth, letting out a harsh breath when Korra began to pump his length leisurely, his hands actually clenched into fists with the effort to remain silent and keep his face indifferent but inside he was boiling and though he stared at the screen he wasn't really seeing anything but blurs on it anymore.

The Avatar chuckled as she continued to tease him, glancing around every so often for the sake of caution but mostly just reveling in the power and adrenaline of the forbidden situation. She just loved feeling the tension on her lover's strong body, she liked seeing the fire in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw while she played him like her favorite toy, yet, it wasn't nearly enough, she wouldn't be content until she pushed a few boundaries.

Just as Noatak was starting to believe that it was impossible to stay quiet much longer, they heard a noise from behind them and coming closer. Korra startled and stopped, she moved to settle back on her seat and completely away from his touch while he repositioned himself enough to hide his embarrassing condition.

As it turned out, the sound was just one of the clerks of the theater entering the room to check on things but it put him in line with their row and the equalist could feel both his heart and the Avatar's suddenly racing while the man's gaze shifted in their direction for a moment... Then the bored clerk turned around and walked away without looking back.

Korra sighed in relief but made no move to start teasing him again, it seemed the little scare had knocked some sense into her so she returned her attention to the mover. Noatak agreed that the right thing to do was to pretend nothing had happened and be grateful that they hadn't gotten caught but as he watched her brush the matter aside he frowned with suspicion and couldn't avoid the sting of disappointment that prickled under his skin, it also didn't help that he was hard as steel and aching for an outlet for all that built up anticipation.

A low but obnoxious slurping sound snapped him out of his thoughts but then he realized it was just Korra finishing the juice she'd bought and trying to suck every last dreg of the drink out of the empty cup through a straw.

"Hm… I'm still thirsty." The Avatar remarked under her breath but rather than being a casual remark it came out playful and full of mysterious innuendo instead.

"What are you…?" He began to ask as she leaned forward but Korra silenced him with a little kiss.

"Shh. This is the best part." She pointed at the screen where a loud dramatic song between the two protagonists was starting as the two actors faced each other on some fake forest setting with tears gleaming in their eyes.

Noatak wasn't sure what she meant… Until she looked around, placed the basket of pumpkorn on an empty spot beside her, and then slipped silently off her seat and onto the floor before crawling to kneel between his legs with the most wicked smirk he had ever seen.

Korra caught his gaze with her own and while the equalist shook his head and tried to motion for her to get up, she just grinned and stuck her tongue out cheekily while reaching of the edge of his pants. In a heartbeat, she had his cock exposed again but before she did anything else, the Avatar pointed at his eyes and then at the screen, indicating that he had to be discreet and pretend to watch the mover.

Arguing was clearly not an option but, in all honesty, Noatak's desire to argue was running thin; quite the contrary, he had never been on edge and aroused in his entire life and he had had his fair share of wild sexual experiences over the years. So the equalist ended up obeying without thinking about it, his eyes fixed on the screen without really looking at it and he braced himself for what came next.

He felt her fingers first, skilled and slender as they wrapped around the base of his hardened shaft and pumped slowly; then something soft was pressing to his heated flesh and it took him only a second to recognize Korra's kisses as they trailed all over the sensitive skin.

The vast room was so dark the spectators were mere silhouettes against the light of the screen but Noatak's gaze still kept darting all around the space and every little shift in the air seemed to tickle his skin and lift the little hairs on his arms from how hyperaware he was of his surroundings, a slight sheen of sweat was forming under his collar and between his shoulder blades, his mouth felt dry, his throat paralyzed, and with his bending he could sense every heartbeat and every movement of the other people in the room but his focus was the woman at her knees in front of him- that beautiful, cheeky, impetuous, stubborn woman that never ceased to amaze him.

Something wet and warm lapped along his cock and Noatak gasped and had to bite his tongue to hold back a groan. He heard a soft sassy chuckle under the loud music from the speakers and then felt it again, though this time the sensation drew on and on as Korra took her time drawing little patterns over his length with the tip of her tongue.

When the Avatar finally began to take him into her mouth, alternating between sucking indolently and licking teasingly as if were her favorite flavor of lollipop, Noatak's fingers gripped the armrests of his seat so hard that his knuckles turned white, his head actually tipped back and his eyes closed tightly as he fought to keep quiet and breathe. Korra wouldn't have that and tugged at his shirt to remind that his attention was supposed to be on the screen rather than the ceiling.

However, the equalist chose to stare at the Avatar and not at the mover and what he saw made his racing heart speed until it practically hummed behind his ribs- even with darkness obscuring her Korra looked beautiful, the confidant and bold look in her brilliant eyes as she continued to suck and lick him like a treat was one of the most attractive things he had ever witnessed and the way her braided hair swayed and her pert little bottom wiggled with her movements was entirely too distracting.

"If you want to watch me so badly…" She murmured so softly that he almost missed it under the sound of music in the air but it didn't matter because her actions spoke louder than words.

Korra knelt a little straighter, her head almost poking over the edge of the seats that concealed her, she then undid her sash and boldly pulled up her tunic. Suddenly Noatak understood what had felt off earlier when he watched the little piece of pumpkorn fall into her cleavage- she wasn't wearing a bra or bindings or anything at all under the tunic and her perfect generous breasts with already stiff dark points were put on display exclusively for him.

A little corner of Noatak's brain told him to stop this now before anyone saw her, it was one thing if he was caught in a shameless position but he'd be damned if he let anyone see his lover in a similar state, his possessive side was much too jealous and protective to allow such a thing; and yet, the rest of his brain was screaming incoherently with the sheer excitement the situation provided, the very threat of capture was what made things all the more thrilling.

Before he could decide what to do over the mess of conflicted feelings, adrenaline and lust, Korra was making the decision for him and taking command once more; her supple breasts slowly enveloped his rigid cock in a warm squeezing embrace of silky skin while her mouth dropped low enough to suckle at the tip of length.

Noatak forgot how to breathe, his usually sharp ice-colored eyes were now wide as he took in every detail of scene taking place between his legs, and when he finally remembered that he needed air his breaths came out in jagged panting that couldn't quite conceal tiny moans of pleasure.

Korra reveled in those little sounds, she was sure nobody else was close enough to hear them thanks to the loud music from the mover but she was completely attuned to them and they fueled her own lust; she kept drawing out his pleasure with slow squeezes and grinding of her breasts and harsh demanding suckles and licks because she liked having the control to make him loose his composure so completely and so very publically as well. Then again, the Avatar was also starting to squirm, her knees were pressed together but she feel the heat pooling between her thighs and those little noises he made set butterbees aflutter in her stomach, if it weren't for all the people around and her determination to pull through with her plan, Korra would have climbed onto his lap and taken things much further.

Speaking of taking things further, Noatak couldn't handle her pace for much longer, he practically pleaded under his breath and even though it was too soft for Korra to understand the words, she could grasp the sentiment just fine and he had been behaving so well so far that she figured it was about time she rewarded him, if only to watch if he'd give himself away.

It wasn't all that hard, all it took from Korra's part was a bit more rhythm, a tad more intensity, a little more speed, and a few chosen words of encouragement and suddenly Noatak's hands were clinging to the armrests of his seat with such force that they creaked, his entire frame was tense with the effort not to fold on himself and his breath was caught his throat while he pursed his lips to kept his voice for spilling out the same way he spilled his pleasure onto her tongue.

The Avatar made a little show out of licking up every gooey drop and swallowing it for his viewing pleasure but she didn't stop there, she practically sucked every last droplet out of him and continued to tease until he was fidgeting and begging her to stop and more than half-mast all over again.

Korra took pity on him so she tucked him back into his pants very slowly and deliberately, she then buttoned his trousers and dropped her tunic into position, tying the sash loosely back in place before she peaked over the edge of the seats and finally moved up to return to her seat with the most victorious grin plastered on her face. A moment later, the Avatar was leaning onto her lover's side again and whispering in his ear.

"That was fun. We should try a more popular mover next time." Korra chuckled, only half kidding.

"You're going to pay for this." Noatak murmured under his breath, he noticed that the protagonists in the mover were about to kiss but he had missed so much of the plot that he no longer understood or cared about what was happening on the screen.

"Am I? Am I _really_?" Her tone was challenging and almost eager and her fingers were once again slipping up his thigh to start teasing him all over again while her other hand grabbed some pumpkorn to snack on impertinently.

"Yes, you are." His reply came out in a soft growl as he attempted to remain composed. "In fact, since you're such an exhibitionist…" The equalist trailed off meaningfully and gave her a penetrating look that clearly stated he already had plans to get back at her.

Unfortunately his ideas would have to wait because she wasn't nearly done for night.

"Yes… I guess I am, huh?" Korra chuckled softly, replying to a question that hadn't been asked, and kissed his cheek. She then took his hand in hers, running her thumb over his knuckles in a slight caress, and began to guide his hand up her stocking, along her thigh and under the edge of the skirt.

Noatak glanced at her legs, unable to see very much in the darkness but quite certain that her thighs were almost completely exposed, and then something shocked him. He had been expecting the sensation of satin or cotton against his skin the more he caressed up her silky legs but instead his fingers met only wiry curls and slick hot flesh- she wasn't wearing any underwear whatsoever.

"My, my… You really are a pervert, aren't you?" The equalist murmured for her ears only, his threats now forgotten, just as he allowed himself to cup her sex, noting how slippery her inner thighs were and the way she spread her legs ever so slightly for his touch.

"Isn't that why you love me?" Korra hummed back brazenly with a breathy voice thick with lust.

"Among other things." Noatak retorted just a softly, teasing her with the same sort of light intimate petting that she had been using on him earlier. It made her squirm against his hand but she didn't seem the least bit ashamed or nervous, just excited.

And then, abruptly, all the teasing between them stopped because the mover ended, the credits were rolling and people were starting to get up. They had just managed to get their hands off each other when the lights turned back on and Korra hastily shoved her skirt down with her cheeks aflame.

Noatak began to rise, wanting to leave as fast as possible so they could get home and naked in record time, but the Avatar tugged him back onto his seat and gave him a little complicit look, indicating that he should once again follow her lead.

Soon enough almost all the other spectators had left and when the last couples began to file out of the showroom, Korra finally got up and took Noatak by the hand, pulling him along with a naughty smile. It was late and very few people littered the hallways of the theater, she purposely lagged behind and let the couple of ahead of them turn around the corner before she tried a door to her right which was locked, she tried the next one and it opened with a click, allowing her to shove the equalist inside before anyone saw them.

They didn't even have time to check out their surroundings before the door closed and Noatak was pinning the Avatar to the wall, kissing her so passionately that all the air was knocked out of her lungs; all Korra knew was that she was in some sort of small storage room piled with stacks of circular metallic film cases.

The kiss was hungry and harsh, their lips mashed with bruising intensity and their teeth clinked together before their tongues met in a wet battle for control. Through the heated kiss, she pushed off his coat, unbuttoned his vest and blindly unbuckled his belt, meanwhile Noatak was tugging off her sash and slipping his hands up her tunic, gliding up her sides to cup her supple breasts and deliver a harsh but delectable squeeze.

Korra's hands were suddenly in his hair, pulling him closer for more of that devouring kiss while her leg hitched over his hip almost demandingly; one of his hands left her chest and slid down to her thigh, running up the dusky flesh to push up her skirt before cupping her naked rear to pull her body flush to his while his other hand pinched and tweaked at a pebbled nipple.

The Avatar moaned into the lip-lock and grinded to him heatedly, she wanted him to lose control, she wanted this to escalate quickly and wildly, she had made sure to keep him on edge all night long and she was sure that despite the earlier release he'd still be hungry for more just as she was.

"Better be quiet, darling." Noatak murmured sardonically into her lips in reply to her moans before his own mouth began to trail harsh kisses down her jaw and neck. "Wouldn't want to be caught, now would you?"

"Shut up and fuck me." She ordered breathily, her head tipped back against the door to grant him more access for those kisses, chest arching to him and her fingers buried in his dark hair.

The equalist made a mockingly disapproving tsk sound and pinned her more firmly. "Such language, Avatar Korra."

"Now!" She bossed, letting go of his hair long enough for one of her hands to unbutton his pants and draw out a painfully hard erection and line it up with her drenched entrance.

"As you wish." With that, both of his hands found her rear to pick her up just as he slammed forward into her welcoming depths.

Korra moaned loudly, much too loudly to be safe, and wrapped her legs around him, hooking her ankles at the small of his back as her arms wrapped around him and her nails dug into his clothes. Noatak only kept quiet by biting into the exposed flesh of her shoulder just hard enough to leave a mark, which in turn only enflamed the Avatar further.

In no time at all he found a rhythm and was thrusting into her fast and deep while Korra clung to him and scratched his back through his clothes. The air was warm and filled with the sounds of her gasping and moaning much too loudly, his harsh breathing, wet noises as their bodies smacked together and the creaking wood of the door from the force of their movements.

Amidst incoherent words of pleasure, Korra began to plead for even more, so he let her down gently only to make her turn her back to him. The Avatar understood what he wanted and, with a lustful grin, she leaned forward, pulled up her skirt and braced herself against a solid steel shelving unit that housed more stacks of film while she spread her legs expectantly.

In mere seconds he had taken the invitation and slid his thick rigid shaft into her inviting sex, marveling at how constrictive and soaked she was, at the heat exuding from her body in waves and the beautiful wanton way she moaned his name and pressed demandingly to him. Noatak's hands bracketed her hips and just like that his speedy rhythm was back, except this time she kept up with his pace and arched her back, crying out from the sharp pleasure that danced roughly on her nerve endings.

What they were doing was not lovemaking, it couldn't be called such, it was much too aggressive and desperate, driven by a lust born from the forbidden situation, a heat that blossomed from the threat of capture, a desire for each other so primal and physical that there was barely enough room for love. It was more akin to animalistic rutting, to the hunger of creatures in heat.

At some point there was some noise outside the door. Noatak stilled, much to her frustration, and realized that people were walking by, probably leaving one of the other movers.

Korra didn't care, she wanted more and the sound of footsteps and chatter only seemed to arouse her further, in fact she began to demand that he continue and pressed back to him so forcefully that his cock slammed into her to the hilt, drawing a sharp moan from her throat. Noatak couldn't deny her anything and, to be perfectly honest, he didn't want to, he too was driven by the danger of the situation so despite the noise in the corridor outside, he began to slam into her again… And again… And again.

It was starting to be very obvious that Korra was becoming much too loud so Noatak wrapped her braid around his hand and tugged harshly enough to make her head tip back, he then clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her cries and bit the inside of his cheek to lower his own groans as their frantic pace grew even more wild, so much so that the film cases were rattling on the shelf she used for support.

Korra's climax zipped through her hard and fast, like fireworks whizzing into the air before exploding into sparks of heat all over her body. She clung to the shelf so hard that she was sure the shape of the metal edges would be indented on her palms for days, her breath was caught in her lungs for a moment before she finally let out a muffled cry into his hand and her whole form convulsed from the waves of sensation rippling inside her.

As for Noatak, he didn't even try to hold back and followed her down that precipice, folding onto her and holding her tightly for some shred of control as the tight coil of pleasure that been growing more and more tense finally snapped and let the climax rocket through him as he spilled into her welcoming body, gasping and panting with his face pressed between her shoulder blades.

In the blank-minded haze of pleasure, they weren't exactly sure what happened but found themselves sitting on the floor with the Avatar on her lover's lap, both of them breathless and dazed, and for some reason several metal cans had fallen open and film was spilled around them.

"Oh my Spirits, what a turn on!" Korra exclaimed breathlessly, grinning lazily with reddened cheeks. "We should have done that sooner."

"And we will likely do it again." Noatak agreed, nuzzling the back of her neck and planting soft kisses on her skin. "Though perhaps next time we should pick a spot with a lock." He nodded towards the door that remained closed but could swing open at any moment if someone just decided to look inside.

"What fun would that be?" The Avatar snickered and turned just enough to kiss him deeply but slower and more thoroughly this time.

There was really no time for afterglow and leisurely make-out sessions, not there anyway, Noatak figured that perhaps they could indulge in a little something more in the back seat of the satomobile or maybe they could just wait until they got home and take things to bed. In the meantime they had to leave, having already taken enough risks for one night.

They stood and Noatak didn't take long to get his clothes on properly but when Korra began to smooth her own garments back into place, he realized that she had a small predicament- her thighs were still shiny with fluids that slid from her sex and she had no underwear, sure, her skirt might hide most of the mess but Noatak didn't want to take any chances.

Without really thinking about it he pinned her to the door again and kissed her, Korra was more than happy to kiss back but when they broke apart there was curiosity in the way she looked at him, as if her eyes were asking a question that never got made into words. Noatak's response was to kneel, push up her skirt and lift her leg over shoulder so that he could kiss and lick her thighs clean, slowly but surely making way for her center.

Korra knew she should object, she knew that if he continued she'd get all hot and needy again and would push him down for more so that they would end up stuck in that storage room much longer, they were cutting things too close already and might just end up locked in the theater for the night. Nonetheless she didn't object as she should, on the contrary, the Avatar's hands buried in Noatak's hair and egged him on, daring him to continue… He did.

Once her thighs were thoroughly cleaned, the equalist redirected his attention to her sex, noting how her curls were damp, her folds were puffy and parting on their own accord, her pearl was swollen with desire and the mingled result of their pleasure dripped from her core in the most lascivious way conceivable. Without further ado he pressed closer, lapping along her slit from bottom to top with practiced skill and laving her pearl with slow strokes of his tongue.

The fingers in his hair gripped tighter, her nails digging into his scalp just a little too hard while she quivered and gasped, those soft noises she made were music to his ears and he forced more out by sucking the little bud into his mouth and drawing hypnotic circular patterns with his tongue until Korra had to pull one hand from his hair so she could raise it to her lips and bite into her fist to keep herself from wailing.

Noatak would have loved to drag this out, to make her squirm and beg for release, but he was aware that they didn't have time for that so to speed things up he kept holding her leg over his shoulder while his other hand caressed up her thigh and pressed between her slick folds until two calloused fingers found their way into her core, thrusting deeply and curling slightly in search of a certain area that often made the Avatar scream. He began to pump into her with those fingers, grazing that sensitive spot at increasing speed while he continued to tease her pearl with his mouth.

If it weren't for her fist, that would likely be bruised from her biting for days to come, Korra's shriek might just have alerted some theater employees of their presence and got them caught seeing as they could hear one walking right outside the door, the sound of keys jangling and punctuated with footsteps rattled Korra's nerves, adrenaline spiked in her like a drug; thankfully she managed to repress the sound of her own screaming but still thrashed against the door as the tide of pleasure rose and crashed over her with blinding force like a wayward tidal wave.

Sparks of flame flickered in the Avatar's breath and she clung so tightly to Noatak that he could barely breathe but that didn't stop him and he continued to tease and caress until she had ridden out the climax and was a shaky mess that squeaked when he proceeded to lick her clean of her own honey.

By the time he was satisfied and finally detangled from her, Korra was panting and when he stood, licking his lips obscenely and smirking at her dazed expression, she had to hold onto him just to stay upright.

"You…" The Avatar began but her voice was croaky and she had to swallow a breath and clear her throat. "You shouldn't have done that. Now I want to claw your clothes off all over again."

"You'll have time for that at home. Right now we have to leave before we get locked in." Noatak sounded almost as sassy as she usually did and, before she could object or retort, he was fixing her clothes and tying her sash firmly around her waist.

Korra smirked, still overcome and shaky, and once they were presentable again she let him take her by the hand and lead her outside.

They found nobody as they exited the storage room but bumped into a clerk when they turned the corner, the man complained that it was closing time and they shouldn't be in there but Noatak apologized politely and came up with a smooth excuse on the spot so that a few minutes (and a fat tip) later, they were walking outside into the cool night air and heading to the satomobile.

In the end, one thing was for sure- they would never see movers the same way again.

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

(A/N: Pumpkorn… Lame, I know. I just like the Avatar thing of mixing two animals or two plants to make things unique to the universe but this time the only answer that kept popping to my mind for the question 'what's a good thing to combine with corn/popcorn?' was roasted pumpkin seeds. OTL

By the way, the next prompts will likely be a lot smaller. I kind of went overboard with the smut, in fact the exhibitionism kink was supposed to go in 'Fog' but I found something better for that.)


	3. Day 3 - Star

Amorra Week 2015- Day 3

Prompt: Star

Rating: T

Summary: Korra is stressed over an argument with Noatak. Nature decides to give them a little help to reconcile.

Note: This happens over a year after the previous prompt. It's not as small I thought it would be.

Words: 6,019

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

"Finally!" Korra exclaimed to no one, stretching lazily and breathing in the balmy seaside air.

She had been going crazy lately with that stupid bedrest rule and was glad to finally be let outside for the first time in two weeks, she didn't even care that it was sunset and the sky was tinted in fiery hues of red, orange and lilac, she didn't give a damn that she was far away from home and in a tiny bucolic jungle island with almost no modern conveniences in the south-most corner of the Fire Nation, all she cared about was that the local healer had finally let her out of the damn medical cabin with a clean bill of health… Well, mostly clean anyway.

The Avatar kicked off her boots and rolled up her pants over the knee so she could bury her feel in the warm sand of the little beach just outside the village limits, the grains tickled as they slid between her toes while she walked leisurely under the last dying rays of sunlight, enjoying the swoosh of waves breaking on the shore, a sound that always managed to relax her.

It was peaceful here, on this beach, it was so calm that she had forgotten it could be this way without the smell of satomobile smoke or the noises of the big city, she could actually see the first stars freckled on the sky, some of which were impossible to view with the light pollution of big cities.

If only Korra felt as peaceful as the landscape around her…

After the period of medical incarceration she had become cabin fevered and was happy to be in the wide outdoors once again but her heart still felt trapped, it was heavy and tight in her chest and seemed to conjure a sigh every few yards she walked.

The reason for such melancholy was not a simple one, after all, if ever there was a complex being in her life it was Noatak.

"Not that I can blame him this time…" The Avatar sighed once more and stopped to look up at the dusting of stars slowly winking into existence above her.

No, she couldn't really blame him this time because she understood how he felt and she was aware that in some way he was right but that only made things harder, it made it almost impossible for her to talk to him because she didn't want to admit she could be the least bit wrong. Not that she actually thought she was wrong, but for once she couldn't bear to argue over the matter.

Korra kept walking, wallowing in her own thoughts and drawing strength from the freedom of having miles and miles of open space around her, she was almost tempted to jump into the sea and bend her way out to deeper waters but instead she sat on a small dune and watched the sun disappear under the horizon. She actually lost all track of time for a while as it grew dark and her mind reeled, trying to find a solution for the worries that plagued her, when something brought her back to reality.

"You're quite far out, aren't you?" The deep intimidating voice called out from behind her but Korra didn't bother to turn.

"Needed a walk, I was tired of being cooped up." The Avatar shrugged and then glanced at the approaching equalist. "How did you find me?"

"I figured you'd come to the beach, once I found your boots I just had to follow the footprints in the sand." Noatak explained as he sat beside her though she noticed that he left a good two feet of space between them. "And being cooped up was your own fault."

"Not this again!" She groaned, already tired of the argument that hadn't even started.

To be fair, he hadn't been _trying_ to fight while she was bedridden, he had been too concerned to do so, but that hadn't stopped him from chiding her often about her actions; now, however, he seemed to have no qualms about finally getting his thoughts out in the open.

"You know it's true, you were reckless. I keep telling you that you take your bending for granted and shouldn't abuse it but you just had to go over the top as usual." Noatak was stern and his face was as hard as Amon's mask used to be.

"I was doing my job. Being Avatar means taking risks, it means sacrificing my safety for the sake of others and if I hadn't gone into Avatar State, if I had pulled any punches, that woman would have obliterated the whole village and captured Iroh in the process!" Korra snapped defensively and angrily.

It had been the strangest of missions, an old enemy of Avatar Aang had resurfaced and Korra had been called to fix the problem only to realize she was stepping into a trap.

Azula had disappeared long ago and everyone assumed she had died but as it turned out the former princess had spent years tracking down a certain Spirit that could grant new faces and, by extension, new bodies. She had gained a younger face and somehow manipulated the Spirit to let her retain her memories, as a result the powerful firebender had gained more time to plan out her revenge and she needed more time because she hadn't succeeded in using the Mother Faces further as she originally wanted even though she held the Spirit's wolf hostage.

There was a small rural tribe living on an island in a remote corner of the Fire Nation, such a tribe was isolated and small but they had something special- they supplied the Fire Nation with rare and precious raw ingredients necessary to make medications vital to all those living in the subtropical environment of the Fire Nation.

Azula's grand plan had involved holding this village hostage by galvanizing a certain volcanic Spirit that had been awakened after Harmonic Convergence. Once she had the villagers where she wanted them and mayhem had broken out, she intended to lure the Avatar, Lord Zuko and the current Fire Lord to the island with phony requests for aid so she could dispose of all of them together.

However, in the end only General Iroh showed up to represent the royal family with the Avatar for back up and though she had brought Noatak and Jinora along to help, Iroh could only bring a few men in fear that the presence of more soldiers might escalate the violence and draw too much attention to the situation.

The fight had been violent but not drawn out. Azula actually had several supporters on her side and things escalated very quickly but Iroh's men and Noatak handled them efficiently; Jinora had turned her attention towards pacifying the enraged Spirit before it spewed lava all over the villagers and Korra had joined Iroh in confronting the former princess who's plans, when faced with the loss of her supporters, quickly changed towards defeating the Avatar and holding the general hostage to lure out her brother and niece.

Korra had lost her temper. When she saw that Jinora had gotten hurt trying to back down the Spirit while the others fought and that Azula was deranged and careless of collateral damage, having set part of the jungle and village on fire already, the Avatar had simply lose her temper- she had ignored Noatak's efforts to come up with a strategy and Iroh's attempts to battle his aunt, she had forgotten that there were firebenders present to handle the blaze and she had simply gone into Avatar State and jumped into peril head on.

In the end, Korra had used an overwhelming amount of power to put out the fire, then she had engaged the former princess in battle ruthless and viciously until the latter was on her knees and encased in stone. Finally, the Avatar had turned her attention towards stopping the flow of lava and pushing back the Spirit until it settled down.

They had won, yes, and all should be well and good but after fighting in Avatar State for so long and abusing her bending to try and fix everything on her own Korra had suddenly collapsed, the light of the State had gone out just as she started to bleed and lost consciousness. Normally she should have been able to handle such injuries and exhaustion well enough but not this time, this time she had forgotten that there was more at stake than just herself, she had forgotten that just a week before she had learned that her health was compromised. Herein lied Noatak's anger.

"We could have handled it, you didn't trust the rest of us to help and had to show off your power and thanks to that arrogance we almost lost the…" The equalist argued, interrupting her reminiscing thoughts.

"Shut up!" Korra cut him off sharply and still defensive. "I know, ok?!"

"That is precisely why I'm angry. You knew exactly what you were doing and you didn't care about the consequences, did you think abusing your bending wouldn't come with a price?" He reprimanded furiously, rapidly losing all of his cold composure in the most unusual way.

"Spare me your self-righteous equalist bullshit." The Avatar snarled, just as angry. "I thought you were done being Amon."

"Maybe you thought wrong." Noatak snapped back automatically.

"…Maybe I did." She scowled and crossed her arms. "So what, are you going to try to take my bending, Amon?"

"Why would I do something so pointless?" He glared at her; they both knew blocking her bending was hopeless because she could restore it instantly but that was not at all what he meant, he had long since given up that technique and wouldn't betray her trust in that manner. "Unless it's to protect you from yourself, in which case I'm tempted to try."

"What a brilliant solution! How about you chi-block me for the next six months too? If I can't move then I can't be a danger to the baby, right?" Korra retorted cynically, having finally stood up again to put more space between them.

"…" Noatak didn't answer, he obviously wanted to but though he got up as well, he chose to grit his teeth and bite back an acerbic reply.

She hadn't noticed but this was the first time she brought up the pregnancy on her own in two weeks, during all that time she had been going out of her way to cut him off whenever he started to mention the topic because she was too scared to talk about it and too well aware that he had every right to be angry because of it.

A little over three weeks before Korra had discovered that she was expecting and had been for at least a month and half, she had spent several days trying to work up the courage to tell Noatak, afraid that he'd reject her or resent her in some way but he figured it out on his own and confronted her on the matter. To her surprise he had taken the news very well, much better than she had actually, the equalist had seemed genuinely happy in way she had never seen and assured her that would never leave her side.

Unfortunately, Korra herself was still too scared to accept the situation as well as he had and therefore ended up avoiding it until the moment she collapsed out of the Avatar State because as soon as she woke up in the medical cabin at the village the first words out of her mouth had automatically been about the baby and only when the healer told her that the child would be fine did she calm down, that was when Korra finally realized how she really felt about the little thing growing inside her… And that scared her even more.

"Do you even want this kid? Or have you finally come to your senses?" The Avatar shot him the scornful questions when it became clear that he wasn't going to reply. She knew she was being unfair but she couldn't help herself, there was too much anger clouding her judgement.

"How can you even ask such a thing?" For a moment Noatak actually looked appalled.

"Easy, with words." The remark dripped sarcasm like a snake spews venom.

"It's a horrible thing to say." He admonished, clearly hurt. Korra realized she'd never seen him act hurt before and nearly winced as the slash of guilt that lanced through her.

"That's not an answer." She retorted, trying not to let his reaction affect her, trying to stay angry and force him to stop evading her questions like he always did.

"Of course I want our child, more than anything. I've told you that from the moment we found out. Why do you think I'm so angry now?" Noatak's hurt was rapidly turning to rage all over again.

"I'm not sure anymore. Is it because I almost lost it or because I didn't?" The words had an almost mocking tone to them but they were mostly just bitter, she was once again fully aware of how petty and unfair she was acting though she didn't care at all and just wanted to attack, to hurt, to fight.

"How dare you imply something so horrid?" There was shock and even disgust stamped in his voice and he moved as if she had just burned him. "Why would you ever think I wanted you to lose it?"

"Maybe because you're starting to remember what you seem to have forgotten in the last few years." Korra shrugged, arms once again crossed and a scowl on her face.

"And what's that?" Noatak dared her to answer, wondering where she was going with all this.

"That I'm a bender, I'm THE bender- the one Amon blamed for all the wrong in the universe, the one he failed to destroy, the one that defeated him." The Avatar stated sharply, daring him to disagree.

"You know I've overcome all that, you know my ideals have evolved but even if they hadn't, what does any of it have to do with our child?" The equalist crossed his arms as well but in his case it was more of a show of obstinacy than a physical attempt at keeping the other away.

"Simple. Having sex with the enemy can be pretty exciting but having the lifelong commitment of parenthood with them might not be so much fun." It was an accusation, no doubt about it, but as soon as the words were out Korra realized that the comment went both ways and they both knew it.

"You think I was only with you because you were a challenge? You think these last three and half years were just a game to me? You doubt my love for you on the grounds that we once despised each other for a few months almost a decade ago?" Noatak's voice had risen but he still wasn't quite shouting and the ice in his tone made her feel as if he had dumped a bucket of snow over her head.

"I… Well, I… When you put it that way…" She stammered and hesitated. When he put it that way it really sounded stupid, her accusations became unfair and irrational.

"Or is it that you think I can't get over our conflicting ideologies enough to raise a child?" He added when it was clear that Korra wasn't going to reply with anything more eloquent. This incensed her all over again.

"Yeah, well, I'm a bender, you're a bender. What will you do in the likelihood that our baby is a bender too? Equalize it 'protect it from itself'?" The Avatar tossed him the very remark he had made earlier and twisted it out of proportion. "Or make it feel guilty about something that is an inherent part of it? Heck, maybe you'd just teach it what your father taught you or create another mini Amon to follow in your footsteps and take away bending from the unworthy."

"I would never do any of that and you know it!" This time he did shout, both in outrage and distress, and Korra knew why- despite her sarcastic tone and his hyper-controlled personality, she knew that bringing up his father in any way was a surefire way to upset him.

"Do I?" She shouted back. The answer was yes, she knew he wouldn't do any of that, she trusted him more than she herself understood but she was scared and pissed off enough not to care and his anger only made her want to fight even more.

"You know what I think?" Noatak practically growled in an effort to lower his tone.

"Oh, do tell!" Korra challenged snippily.

"I think you're the one that's afraid of being a mother. I think you're the one that regrets getting involved with a former enemy and much older man. I think you are the one that got into this relationship for the excitement, the taboo and the challenge and now that it's about to become very real and very permanent you're terrified."

She slapped him. Her first impulse was to punch but she curbed it just enough to slap him across the face. Nonetheless, there was so much strength and ire behind the strike that the sound cracked through the air of the beach, his head whipped to the side and the equalist staggered back because he didn't even try to dodge though she was certain he could have.

Korra had no idea why his words had made her mad enough to slap him, for all intents and purposes he had hit the nail right in the head and hadn't accused her of anything that she hadn't accused him of first and worse, but she couldn't stop the rage and resentment from flowing and the response had been instinctive. She was still trying to process her own reactions when he faced her again.

"Did I hit a nerve?" The equalist enquired with cold composure, ignoring the red handprint swelling on his face as he stared her down.

"How… How could you say that to me?" Korra curled her hands into fists to contain her anger and hide her hurt, her palm stung from the slap but she didn't care.

"The same way you said to me." He retorted dryly.

"I didn't…" She began to defend but he cut her off at once.

"Don't deny it. Hypocrisy doesn't suit you." Noatak's dry tone turned almost bitter and he finally broke eye contact and turned away from her, facing the sea and looking weary beyond endurance.

"I didn't mean any of it and you know it! I was just angry…" She still was but now she was starting to feel awful too, the guilt was seeping in like poison soaking her flesh.

"Well, so am I." He retorted coolly. "You're not the only one allowed to have doubts and throw fits."

"I wasn't...!" Her tone started to rise into a shout again as the implied accusation made the rage swell once more but the Avatar was silenced halfway by something that drew their attention away from each other, something equal parts awe inspiring and utterly surreal.

As the tide waned, a sudden large wave had risen and crashed ashore, glowing in the most unearthly fashion as if some supernatural force wanted to end their argument. The blueish light was so shocking in the dark night that Korra was almost sure some gigantic Spirit had been disturbed and was about to burst from the water to devour them… Yet, when the water washed back peacefully the glow remained, fractured along the beach as if stars had rained down from the sky, and it took the Avatar several moments to understand what she was seeing.

"Stars?" Korra blinked, striding towards the waterline to lean over a writhing mass of glowing star-shaped creatures that really did look like they had fallen out of the sky.

"Glowing Starfish to be exact." Noatak corrected, having followed her silently to examine the little creatures that were no bigger than his palm.

"They're beautiful." The Avatar murmured in awe, having instantly forgotten her anger. She picked up one of the delicate slippery creatures and stared at it on her palm.

"Yes, they are." He agreed and added, a little sadly- "A pity."

"Pity?" She looked at him with curious eyes.

"I saw this happen from time to time back in North Pole. The starfish gather to breed but get caught in a riptide and are pulled ashore by a single wave." The equalist explained with a hint of nostalgia.

"So what? Why is that a pity?" Korra was confused as to how something so pretty could be negative.

"Because they're going to die, Korra." Noatak stated bluntly. "It's a pity because they won't live long out of the water and likely didn't have time to breed so two generations are lost in a single wave."

Sure enough, the sand was littered with hundreds, maybe thousands, of little wriggling glowing beings that had been stranded on dry land and left to shrivel up and die outside their natural habitat. It might have been a beautiful sight but it was also heartbreaking and Korra couldn't stand to just sit back and do nothing- wasn't it her job to vie about all living things?

"We have to help them." She decided with determination and crouched down over a pile of starfish.

"Korra…" He shook his head at the lost cause but when he saw her scoop up and armful of the critters and run to the waterline he had to ask- "What are you doing?"

"Throwing them back. If they're in the water until the next high tide they'll live, right?" She walked into the water, splashing it all over her rolled up pants, and then flung the starfishes she had gathered back unto the sea. Korra then ran back and picked up more of the glowing little animals that she began to hurl back onto the waves.

"And you just intend to keep chucking them back in one by one?" Noatak asked skeptically.

"If I have to!" She snapped back, already gathering more starfishes to save.

"Why? Saving a few when so many more will dry up and die won't make that much of a difference." He sounded confused by her actions, he couldn't grasp her logic.

"To this starfish it makes a difference." Korra stated as she threw back a chubby glowing creature, held it up to him and then threw it back into the water. "To that one it makes a difference." She added after throwing one more. "To these as well." She flung an armful of squirming starfish and then turned to him with her eyes burning like blue fire in the darkness of night. "Every life is important, just because we can't save them all doesn't mean we shouldn't even try to save those that we can!"

"Korra…" Noatak trailed off, he was impressed by her noble attitude but still trying to understand her. To add to his confusion he could stop thinking that she looked beautiful with her hands full of glowing stars that lit up her determined face with azure light, with her hair blowing in the warm tropical air and her clothes splattered with sand and sea water.

"I thought you were the one that liked to look out for the weak and helpless. Why won't you help me?" Korra shot at him, almost pouting and a little desperate, her arms now overflowing with little helpless critters that she hastily tossed back into the ocean.

Noatak's head tipped slightly to the side as he watched her, his face was unreadable but softer than it had been all night as he seemed to take in her panting form and unwavering attitude. The light of the starfishes in her arms also eerily reminded him of how her eyes lit up and the outline of Raava's mark blazed on her skin with the Avatar State, for some reason he thought this should make him angry by reminding him of the last time he'd seen her that way but it didn't, it was strangely beautiful and made him feel only awe and affection.

Without another word, he turned silently towards the horizon and raised his hands. Water floated up from the sea to obey his command and when dropped his arms slowly and gracefully, the liquid folded in on itself, scooping up hundreds of little starfish before washing them back onto the ocean. He repeated the process a few times until all the starfish along the bay were back where they belonged, glowing in the distance to form an ethereal blanket of light under the waves.

"Why did you do that?" Korra was staring at him dumbfounded.

"You asked for help. You made a valid point." Noatak shrugged lightly, yet another gesture that she wasn't used to see from him.

"Thank you." The Avatar nodded gratefully but still confused. "But why did you bend?

"The better question is- why didn't you?" He too was now looking at her with curiosity and confusion, his hands folded at the small of his back.

"I should have, I wanted to, it was my first instinct." She stated, almost as confused by her own reaction as he was, her gaze slipping back to the aquatic glow while she toed the sand uneasily.

"Why didn't you?" The equalist insisted.

"I guess I didn't want to upset you when you were already so mad at me." The reply came out murmured and sheepish, as if she was embarrassed to admit it but no longer angry enough to keep up the belligerent façade.

"… You were trying to spare my feelings by resisting the urge to bend?" Noatak looked truly lost and taken aback.

"It's stupid, I know." Korra shrugged, now staring at her own feet.

"It's not." Noatak sounded moved and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand to make her look at him; when she did she noticed that his face held and swollen red mark but his expression was much gentler. "But I understand bending for the sake of saving lives, Korra. I just don't want you take it for granted or abuse it, I don't want you to feel like just because you have power that means you have to use it and take on everything alone."

"I know that, I just…" She started but then trailed off and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry I was reckless. I'm not used to having to worry about more than just myself… Well, I am, that's all I ever do, but I mean when it comes to self-sacrifice."

"I know." He nodded, still caressing her cheek. Despite the fact that she was often called self-centered, Noatak was well aware that Korra put everyone ahead of herself and having to do otherwise for the sake of the life inside her was a new concept to her- something that he had been forgetting. "And I'm aware that I've been harsh and unfair for the past couple of weeks, I was just worried and letting out my frustration in the wrong ways."

"I understand." It was Korra's turn to nod before she leaned closer to him.

Noatak's arms wrapped around her obligingly and the Avatar embraced him back tightly enough to make his ribs creak, yet he didn't complain and simply let her cling to him for as long as she needed because it was clear that the tension between them in those past few weeks had taken a toll on her and she was desperate for reassurance and affection, then again, so was he.

They didn't quite pull away from the hug but eventually they sat down on the cool sand with Korra on his lap, her back to his front and his arms around her waist as they watched the glow of the starfishes shimmering in the distance under the inky waves, mirroring the flicker of the stars above and the shine of the half-moon.

"… I don't regret it." Korra spoke suddenly, out of the blue. "What you were saying about us."

"Which part?" Noatak wondered noncommittally, trying not to get his hopes up.

"All of it. The relationship, the pregnancy, everything. I don't regret it." She stated sincerely and let out a resigned sigh. "You're right, we once hated each other but the fact that we got over it makes what we have stronger and while it's true that I started to fall for you precisely because it was forbidden and challenging, that doesn't mean I love you any less now. In fact, I've loved you so much and for so long that it makes what happened during the revolution seem like a drop of water in the ocean."

"I feel the same way, Korra. I have for a long time." The equalist leaned over to brush a kiss to her cheek but then his hands landed gently on her stomach and his honest tone became more stoic. "But what about the baby? You are old enough to start a family but you're still young and I'm… not. Are you sure you want this? Are you sure you want to give up your freedom?"

"…You know, when I first found out about the kid, that was exactly what worried me. Not the part about your age, I don't think you're that old, but the part about freedom." Korra mused thoughtfully.

"And?" He coached her into continuing.

"And now I realize that having a child with the right person is a beautiful thing, not a prison sentence. I might lose some free time, I might have to change a lot of things in my life, but what I gain in return will be more than worth it." Korra's head tipped back over his shoulder so she could look at him and he could see the truth in her words reflected on her face. "I can still be who I want despite the added responsibility, I'm no stranger to responsibility in the first place, and though it might be harder I can still be the Avatar the world needs. A baby won't hinder me, it will just give me more reason to fight for what I care about, it will just bring more love into my life."

"You seem to have thought more about this than I gave you credit for." Noatak was impressed again, she had argued so irrationally earlier that he never imagined she had given the matter this much consideration.

"That happens when you're stuck in bed for two weeks with nothing to do." The Avatar rolled her eyes, trying to be annoyed by his remark, but truthfully although she had thought a lot about the situation, she hadn't really come to any conclusions until this night- until she started to say out loud everything that she had been holding back.

"I'm glad you're willing to have my baby, Korra." The equalist smiled, not his usual smirk or that ghost of smile that hid more than it showed but a real genuine smile that Korra always thought was as rare as an eclipse and just as lovely and blinding to watch.

"It's too late to say that now, isn't it?" She snickered playfully. "You know, you can still run for the hills if you want. I wouldn't blame you." Korra stated but then paused and frowned a little. "Ok, I _would_ blame you and kick your ass but you know what I mean."

"Why would I leave? I told you already, I want this more than anything. I never dreamt I'd be a father, I never even knew I wanted it, but now that it's about to happen I can't imagine anything that would make me happier." Noatak held her more tightly, once again placing kisses on her skin, along her neck this time.

Now that they had finally vented all the stress, doubts and anger, now that they had reached a compromise, he missed their closeness and wanted to reassure her of his feelings. Not to mention that they were both secretly thanking the starfishes for dampening their anger before their fight got truly out of hand and they said things that couldn't be taken back.

"Even if the mother is the Avatar you were always taught to hate?" Korra enquired a little uncertainly.

"Especially because the mother is you, the woman I love, the first person I've felt can be a match for me on any level." He corrected firmly and shifted just enough so they look each other in the eye. "I don't care that you're the Avatar or twenty years younger or a former enemy that defeated me and pushed me out a window."

"I did, didn't I?" She chuckled at the memory. Once upon a time the mere thought of that battle still struck terror in her but now it no longer felt so horrible, now it was just part of their tale. "To be fair, you were asking for it and you did worse to me."

"That I did." Noatak agreed neutrally, he disliked remembering those days more than she did. "Which is why I'm even more grateful for this baby, for all intents and purposes I don't deserve such a gift from you."

"It's not a gift, it's a mutual project." Korra smirked, feeling flattered and approving of his choice of words. However, she then cleared her throat and looked strictly at him. "Still, I don't want you to have any illusions- this baby will probably be a bender and I will be proud of that."

"Just because I don't always agree with your beliefs doesn't mean I can't compromise for the sake of our child, and just because I used to blame bending for all that was wrong in the world doesn't mean I will reject my own child for it. I'll simply teach it to be responsible with its skills and never take them for granted or use them unfairly." The equalist explained with such certainty that she suspected he had been practicing this answer for a while.

"Good because I'll kick you out a higher window if you do otherwise." The Avatar warned, only half joking, before she took notice of something else. "…You said 'used to blame bending'?"

"Yes." Noatak nodded.

"You don't anymore?" She wondered with abundant curiosity, for the last couple of years she suspected how he had come to feel about this but it was different when the suspicions got put into words.

"I still think nonbenders are treated unfairly and need every edge they can get, I'm still on their side, but that doesn't mean I'm still against benders. The two are not mutually exclusive." The equalist stated diplomatically. "I realized that it's not the power we have that makes us right or wrong, good or evil, it's what we chose to do with it. I have become biased but you and your adventures taught me that."

"You grew up." Korra teased, smiling with approval.

"So did you." Noatak pointed out perceptively, referring to more than just her physical age.

The Avatar agreed but she chose to shrug noncommittally and cuddled into his embrace with her feet buried in the cool sand and the starfish glow still casting pale blue light around them. However, a moment later there was something she couldn't hold in any longer so she blurted out- "…I'm sorry for how I talked earlier."

"I apologize too." He didn't even have to nod or accept her words, he merely agreed that they were both at fault.

"You know I love you, right?" Korra grinned and turned just enough to kiss him.

"As much as I love you." Noatak responded and kissed back in slow tender way that was rare for them as opposed their usual passionate kisses but that remained equally delicious and more comforting than amount of soft words.

~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

 _(A/N: While tried to think of how to work around the 'Star' prompt, I once again turned to a childhood memory for inspiration- once, when I was around 10 years old, I was at the beach with other kids from a summer activities group and there was a wave of spindly starfishes that washed ashore and all the kids ran out to catch them. I figured it was a great way to combine 'star' with waterbenders and reproduction._

 _On a less related note, when I was 5 or 6 I went to a beach near that one and there was a black wave that scared everyone at first but then it turned out to be harmless, it just washed ashore thousands of sardines. That was another memorable day. Ah, the weirdness of living by the ocean.)_


	4. Day 4 - Shaman

Amorra Week 2015- Day 5

Prompt: Shaman

Rating: T

Summary: Now that their relationship is back on track, Korra and Noatak decide to be spontaneous and take a leap into uncharted territory.

Notes: Takes place right after/at the same time as the previous prompt and is divided into two parts.

Words: 11,284

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

The night was so dark without the artificial lighting of a city on the background that if not for the mist of stars and moonlight and the glow of bioluminescent sea creatures it would have been too dark for the couple that sat on the beach to see each other. However, they were both much too focused on holding one another, kissing and cuddling, to really care about the darkness.

After saving all the starfishes and reconciling with Noatak, Korra wanted nothing more than to never leave his arms, she thought things would be calm for a while now that everything was out in the open and resolved but such a notion only lasted about half an hour because, as usual, she had to be spontaneous and open her big mouth.

"We should get married." The Avatar's tone was relaxed and happy but not at all playful, she didn't even realize she had said it out loud, it was simply a tempting thought that passed through her brain.

"What did you say?" Noatak sounded stunned for a second, his arms still wrapped around her. That was how Korra realized she had spoken out loud.

"Hm… I said we should get married?" Korra murmured nervously. She didn't regret the words, it was just that she hadn't thought them through and was suddenly realizing that he might not feel the same way and she didn't know if she could handle the embarrassment of being rejected.

" _You_ want to get married? You, of all people?" He sounded skeptical and vaguely amused.

"Is that strange?" She grimaced a little.

"You were the one that always said you weren't wife material." The equalist pointed out, recalling the few times they had talked about marriage in a general context after he had dropped several hints. Besides, her personality screamed 'independent woman', it was hard to imagine her as a wife even in his daydreams.

"I just never saw any reason to marry." Korra shrugged carelessly.

"And now you do?" He was curious, trying to divine how her mind worked.

"Obviously." The Avatar pat her flat belly significantly and gave him a hopeful look in the darkness. "So… Will you marry me?"

"No." Noatak's answer was immediate and just a tiny bit pained.

"Oh…" Korra trailed off and looked away awkwardly, her expression falling dismally.

"Don't give me that face, Korra." He pleaded and cupped her cheek to coach her into making eye contact again.

"You just said you don't want to marry me, what face am I supposed to have?" She grumbled grumpily.

"I said I won't marry you, I never said I didn't _want_ to." Noatak explained hurriedly, trying to defuse her mood.

"You lost me." The Avatar frowned with utter confusion.

"Korra… I don't want us to do such a thing just because of the baby, because it's expected, when I marry you I want it to be because we both want it and are ready to be dedicated to each other for the rest of our lives." It was the honest truth, even Korra could see it, but it didn't make her feel that much better.

"And what if I _am_ ready?" She enquired with a stubborn glower.

"Somehow I doubt that." Noatak sounded resigned but he didn't let go and ran his thumb over her lips to dispel the pout. Anyone else might have found his actions condescending but Korra knew this was his way of being kind.

"Noatak, I've been with you for almost four years, I think I know what I want from our relationship by now." Korra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms sassily.

"And what's that?" He wondered.

"You know I'm not the type to worry about the future so I don't know or care what will happen up ahead but… Right now I know that I want to be with you forever. I never really thought I needed to get married for that to come true, I never thought marriage would make a difference to what we have now but with the baby coming I figure it might just be easier for us and for the kid if we are married so… Why not?" The words were confident and calm but Korra cocked a brow challengingly, as if trying to read his reaction.

"Why not indeed…" He actually considered it for a minute but the more he thought about it the more his head told him that this idea wasn't going to work, not like this. "Korra, we really should think this through more carefully."

"Come on! It might be fun, just be spontaneous for once." The Avatar insisted. She swiveled on his lap so she could face him with her legs around his waist and she tugged at his clothes insistently as if physically trying to sway him into agreeing with her.

"Spontaneous? You speak as if we could just get married tomorrow." Noatak shook his head and chuckled at the absurdity of the thought.

"And why not?" There was not a single trace of humor in Korra's voice, she actually looked serious and excited by the idea. "Why can't we just go back to the village, find someone official and get hitched?"

He hesitated, trying to read her face for signs of doubt and when he found none, the equalist began to wonder if it could really be that easy. "…Just like that?"

"Just like that." She assured.

"Wouldn't you want your friends present? Your family?" Noatak reasoned, hesitantly.

"I have a family right here." Korra placed one hand over her stomach and the other on his chest, she also smiled at his hesitant face. "Don't worry, Noatak. My parents would understand and I can always celebrate with my friends when we're back in Republic City."

What Korra neglected to mention was that she also loved this plan because this way she wouldn't get dragged into any boring wedding planning or walk on eggshells around former lovers, she could just jump head first into the good part of the wedding and once she returned home it would be too late for anyone to try to change her mind or nag her about her choices.

"You really want to do this, don't you?" In the darkness of night they could barely make out each other's expressions but Noatak seemed to be staring right into her as he spoke.

"Yeah, I do." The Avatar nodded confidently but then slowly wilted and gave a resigned sigh, looking away from him. "…But you don't, do you?"

"It's not that simple." He tried to explain but she was already standing up and walking away.

"Yes, it is. You just don't want to marry me." There was no bitterness or malice, just disappointment as Korra moved towards the waterline, too afraid to look at him lest he see just how upset this made her. It wasn't the denial that hurt, it's not like marriage was some big secret dream of hers, no, what hurt was opening up to something so life-changing and being rejected.

"I told you I _do_ want it." Noatak had risen from the sand and caught up with her quickly, he tried to reach for her hand but she snapped it out of his reach at the last second.

"No, you don't. If you did you would have said yes right away." The Avatar scowled slightly, she began to walk along the beach with her feet in the cool water. "Now you just say you want it to humor me or because you hoped you'd have some engagement time to talk yourself into it."

"That's not true." The equalist countered, walking beside her now.

"I guess we'll never know." She shrugged and raised her head proudly, determined not to get upset again, but never looked his way.

Noatak went silent for a moment, he was thinking deeply and she could feel the heat of his body at her side as they walked together. At some point she heard him make a very soft sound of frustration and then he grabbed her hand whether she liked it or not and made them stop so they could look each other in the eye again; Korra had a hard time keeping a completely straight face but she managed and his determined solemn air made her slightly curious.

"What if I proved to you that I really want to marry you? Would that truly make you happy?" He enquired seriously and unreadably.

"And how would you prove it?" Korra cocked a brow defiantly.

"You'll see." A mysterious smirk tugged on his lips, it intrigued her so much that she allowed him to entwine his fingers with hers while they continued their walk along the shoreline.

Finally they reached the opposite edge of the beach where she had left her boots, Noatak asked her to wait for a moment and she did- Korra sat on a craggy rock and entertained herself bending little sparkles of flame and watching the glowing mass that the starfishes formed under the water; every once in a while she'd cast a glance at the half moon for no reason other than some sort of spiritual nostalgia.

The Avatar was starting to get impatient and ready to slip on her boots and go looking for her lover but before she could decide to do so, Noatak had finally returned and sat beside her, he held a small leather pouch in his hands and a tense expression.

"Why all the mystery?" Korra wondered impatiently, still holding up a flicker of flame.

"You wanted proof." The equalist murmured as he loosened the strings of the pouch. "Here it is."

Something slid out of the black leather and landed gracefully on her lap. Korra lifted the item in her hands and examined it carefully- it was band, no, a choker made of cobalt leather and carefully stitched with little waves; rather than being a tie-on piece, it had a little platinum latch on the edges and a tiny platinum loop in the middle.

"I've been working on it for a few months whenever you weren't around but I never managed to get the stone right…" Noatak paused for a moment, looking out towards the sea, and by the look on his face a thought had just struck him. "Though, I might just have a good idea for it now."

"You've been making me a betrothal necklace?" Korra sounded amused but she was actually touched. "You know, most people just buy these already made from jewelry stores."

"Call me old-fashioned." He replied with just as much amusement.

"Or just old." She teased but when he began to frown she quickly added- "I'm kidding."

"Do you like it?" The equalist nodded at the necklace, trying to deflect the topic.

"I love it. It's beautiful but not too gaudy." Korra ran her fingers along the flexible surface of the choker, admiring the shiny color that she was sure would look even lovelier in the daylight.

"And sturdy, a quality I thought a person like you would appreciate." He added with a knowing smirk.

"I do. I love it." The Avatar grinned and not just because of the pretty piece of jewelry, it was more due to the fact that he had indeed proved his point, at least now she could relax a little and not feel quite so rejected.

"I'm glad, but, like I said, it's not finished." Noatak quietly reached out to thumb the tiny ring that dangled empty on the band. He then stared at her significantly. "But I might be able to finish it by tomorrow now that I have inspiration."

"Why tomorrow?" Korra blinked, stunned by that intense stare.

"Does your offer still stand?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes!" The Avatar stood at once, she was too excited to remain sitting down- was he really saying what she thought he was saying?

"Then let's do it." Noatak got up too, only to kneel reverently in front of her. "Let's get married."

"What changed your mind?" She couldn't help but wonder this, although she was secretly paying more attention to how delicious he looked on his knees in front of her.

"Seeing you hold that… It looks right, too right to deny." He looked at the choker that was still in her hand and then his gaze turned back towards her, neglecting to mention that he had been thinking deeply about her words on his way to and from the village when he went to get the pouch. "I still think we shouldn't just jump in, I fear you'll regret it later and every time I've been spontaneous things haven't gone well, but for once in my life I just want to do what I want and not what my head tells me."

"A wise decision." Korra stated in a playful happy manner.

"It's the very opposite of wise." Noatak chuckled, he considered impulsive and emotional decisions to be the anything but sensible but he had already decided not to let that get in the way on his happiness this time.

"That doesn't make it wrong." The Avatar countered confidently.

"Perhaps." He replied noncommittally before a faint smile graced his lips. "Tomorrow at sunset?"

"Sounds good to me." She grinned even more excited and wrapped her arms around his neck. "One thing though- I'm the one that proposed so, technically, shouldn't I be giving you a necklace instead?"

"Since when do you care about technicalities?" Noatak smirked in the most distracting way.

"I don't, I just think it would be fun if we both had something to show we're taken." Of course, Korra wouldn't admit that she just liked the idea of placing a mark of ownership on him, she could be very jealous and wanted the world to know he was hers.

"I see. That does sound appealing." He stated thoughtfully, as if enjoying the idea. "Would you like to give me something then? Perhaps when we return home?"

"Sure." The Avatar grinned, already considering the possibilities but aware that she'd likely be too inept to craft something by hand. And then suddenly her expression turned mischievous. "But knowing me, it might just end up being a collar more than a necklace."

"I'm not averse to that scenario." The equalist retorted just as naughtily.

"Oh really?" Korra's grin widened considerably. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll be waiting with baited breath." He retorted with chuckle.

"Good. Now how about we go back to that cabin you've been in and…" She trailed off suggestively and Noatak's only reply was to take her hand and lead her all the way back to the little village in the jungle.

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

The day after the 'proposal' had Korra in knots. She felt sick, in fact she had been nauseous enough to skip breakfast and could almost bet her dinner from the night before wanted to make a reappearance; at first she chalked it off as morning sickness but deep down she knew it wasn't that at all- she was simply nervous, happy, yes, but nervous.

She got up early only to find that Noatak had gone out already which didn't surprise her since she was under the impression that he hadn't slept all that much. The equalist left a note saying there were things he needed to do if they were going to go through with the plan, it also said that he'd find someone to officiate the ceremony but that she was free to change her mind until sunset, though there was no way she would back down but now that the day was actually upon her, she had no idea what to do to get ready.

Rescue came in the form of Jinora. The airbender had stuck around for Korra's sake and she showed up that morning after the Avatar failed to show up for breakfast, she informed that general Iroh was back from his trip to the Fire Nation capital, he had delivered his aunt to the proper authorities and came back to tie some loose ends with the locals and take the Avatar and her companions home after all was said and done.

Korra wasted no time telling her friend about the wedding and begging for some help and Jinora proved to be a miracle worker as usual.

It all started with the airbender asking some of the local women for help, she merely expected suggestions and tried to glimpse at the local indigenous culture but it seemed word had already spread that a wedding was to happen and before either of the foreign women knew it, Korra's guest hut was being swamped by women, only a few of which she had met during her period of convalescence.

At first she felt suffocated by all the strangers surrounding her and babbling about customs, touching her hair and tugging her clothes while clucking suggestions at each other like a group of over excited mother-hens. Yet, slowly, most of the women were chased out by some of the elders from the local Chief's family who took it upon themselves to get the Avatar ready, of course the fact that Naga was sensing Korra's tension and growling rather menacingly also helped clear the hut in record time.

As it turned out, Avatar Roku and his beloved wife Ta Min had passed through that little village many, many generations before and the locals where very proud of the matter, proud enough that they would have held Korra in extremely high esteem whether she had saved them or not and therefore they were determined to make the Avatar's wedding as perfect as possible on such short notice.

Korra was a little intimidated by all the pomp, she kept insisting that she just wanted something decent to wear and that no other help was needed but all her arguing was to no avail and she eventually surrendered and began to grow curious of their customs. It also helped that Jinora kept playing messenger, since the Avatar couldn't decide what to do, the airbender left for a while and showed minutes later stating that Noatak was getting a similar treatment and was not being allowed to come see her, however, he asked if she wanted to go along with all the local traditions or just wait until they were back in the United Republic.

"You know what? Screw it, I've we're doing this then let's go all out. Tell him I'm in if he is." Korra told Jinora with determination solidifying the spontaneous decision, she then turned to the elders that still waited for her decision and bowed to them. "Please guide me through this."

As Jinora left to deliver the answer, the old ladies practically shrieked with excitement and accepted, babbling once again about all the customs and trying to decide which practices to keep and which to scrap in respect to Korra's own culture. Before long she had practically been carried out to the home of one of the elders while everything was planned out around her oblivious self and poor Naga left outside for the village children to play with and cover in flowers.

It seemed the locals were excited by the idea of a wedding, then again, Korra had already noticed they were happy to get any excuse to celebrate and party after the mess with Azula so she humored them and told them to treat her like any other native bride.

Soon enough she found out, in a strangely nonchalant way, that she had to get tattooed and quickly. At first she thought she had heard wrong, she had nothing against ink seeing as tattoos were important and very respected in Water Tribe culture but she was certain such a thing wasn't wedding material… Was it?

As it turned, the local culture stated that women were only adults after they got inked and therefore could only get married once they had the body art to prove their maturity and for a girl to try and wed without undergoing this process was almost sacrilegious and none of the natives would officiate the ceremony in those terms even if said girl was, in this case, well into her mid-twenties. As for men, tattoos had nothing to do with adulthood but they also required them before marriage because apparently without them they were too plain and unadorned to be worthy of a bride.

Korra had a hard time containing her laughter at the thought of Noatak's reaction upon hearing such news but she went along with it, not only because she was excited about an excuse to get inked with the lovely artwork she saw on the islanders but also because she could understand coming-of-age tattoos, it had long since become an old fashioned and obsolete tradition but in the old days Water Tribe girls actually had their faces tattooed as a sign of strength and maturity and such an act afforded them respect from their peers, Korra grew up hearing those stories as well as tales of other ink-based customs of her people- mourning tattoos like the one on Noatak's arm or the one on her mother's thigh, royalty and warrior tattoos like the designs her father had inherited, spiritual marks passed on to Water Tribe healers and many other such marks.

She expected it to hurt a lot more and take a lot longer, particularly because the bamboo utensils looked sharp and rudimentary and she had never imagined that someone would be etching tribal designs onto her shoulders and upper chest, only excluding her face because she was a foreigner, and yet it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the things she was used to in her life as Avatar and the artist was so skilled that it was all done in an hour, leaving her with plenty of time to water-heal the artwork and continue with the wedding preparations. The Avatar barely had time to admire her new and very permanent body-markings but she liked the mysterious designs and had a feeling she'd never regret the experience.

Shortly after the whole tattoo incident, Korra was dragged along to some waterfall in the jungle where she was washed and lectured on the traditions that she'd be facing and what to expect out of marriage. Jinora, who had been the best moral support during the whole inking process, joined in on the bathing experience as well and assured the Avatar that Noatak was being treated almost exactly as she was.

Afterwards, with her hair still dripping and only a colorful sarong around her, Korra was guided around the jungle to a little clearing covered in smooth stones, right across it was the outline of the village and no other path seemed available but it was the middle of the day and the air around said boulders was distorted with heat.

The Avatar was told to take off her shoes and cross the clearing on foot. The volcanic rocks were bound to be hot as a stovetop but apparently it was a tradition, or actually, more like a test given to brides and grooms alike- the goal was to prove that her determination to be with her lover for the rest of her life was true and if so then walking on the hot stones would be easy and harmless as well as akin to the hardships of married life.

Korra though the test was pointless after the pain of tattooing for the exact same goal but she was always up for a challenge and, in fact, it sounded like fun, so in a minute she was kicking off her straw sandals and ignoring Jinora's pleas for caution as she strode out of the shade of jungle trees and right onto the scorching sunlight of the clearing.

As expected the hard ground was hotter than freshly poured road tar in the Summer but the Avatar refused to show hesitation and marched on, resisting the urge to hop on her tiptoes and airbend her way to the shade. She hated extreme heat, having grown up in perpetual snow, and wondered how many women went through this every year, she couldn't help but admire all those that didn't quit or cheat halfway; not that anyone said she couldn't run or tip-toe though, that was just her own stubbornness.

By the time she reached the other side of the clearing Korra's feet felt on fire, she imagined she could hear them sizzle when they hit the grass growing in the shade of a massive old tree, but at the same time she felt victorious and proud of herself. The Avatar grinned widely and challengingly at the women that joined her once more, they seemed impressed and quickly showed her the way back to the hut where she could dip her feet in cold water while one of the older ladies entertained herself with her hair and another came bustling in with an armful of colorful garments made of shiny stiff leather-like material that make Korra shudder at the thought that she might have to try them all.

Jinora helped by conveying to the woman that her friend didn't want anything too gaudy or formal and while several old ladies frowned with disappointment, they all still agreed not to go too over the top.

By the time the Avatar was finally allowed to peek at her reflection on a rudimentary mirror of polished metal, Korra was amazed by what she saw- the stranger looking back had her hair loose but the front bangs were braided back with ceramic beads and a circlet of flowers, the rest of her hair also had white blossoms weaved into it; bangles made of wood and mother-of-pearl decorated her wrists, upper arms and ankles, her feet remained bare, her skin was silky from some slightly fragrant lotion and her cheeks almost glowed with some kind of reflective dust that was sprinkled onto it, her lips were a dark berry hue, painted into a perfect pout, and her eyes were lined in smoky indigo that brought out the sky color of her irises beautifully, there was also a little pearl-like gem somehow pasted to her forehead.

Yet, none of that really grabbed the Avatar's attention no matter how uncharacteristic it was, what really made her gawk at her own reflection was something else entirely. Her so-called wedding dress wrapped around her torso snuggly with no sleeves or straps thus showcasing the new tattoos, a fact that made her feel slightly vulnerable and exposed as if the thing could fall off at any moment and yet she also felt powerful and beautiful in a way that was unknown to her seeing as she had never felt the need to draw confidence from her appearance before; the 'gown' was held together by an oyster shell belt and was open enough in front that she could walk freely but an incredibly long rounded train trailed behind her, the whole garment was gold, white and indigo with intricate geometric embroidery and seemed to be made of many thin layers stitched together horizontally with tiny seashells sewn along it and feathers lining the edges. It looked simple, traditional and wildly complex all at once, as well as strangely familiar and reminiscent of Water Tribe aesthetic but also so foreign and exotic that she couldn't help but stare at it in awe.

Jinora, who had also been dressed up but in yellow and pink with abundant flower motifs, her hair piled back to show off her tattoos, had called the Avatar beautiful but although Korra agreed at the woman in the mirror looked lovely, she couldn't recognize it as her tomboyish self and wondered what in the world they would make Noatak wear.

However, the makeover had been faster than expected and left the bride with plenty of free time for the anxiety to set in. Currently, she was pacing the hut while trying not to let butterbees fly out of her stomach in the most violent manner.

Korra wasn't scared of the wedding itself, that part was actually quite exciting, but she was nervous about how her spontaneous little idea to get married had spiraled into something so complex, she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of a whole village of strangers and she was secretly terrified that Noatak might be getting cold feet after all the crazy pre-marital customs.

And then it happened- Jinora had given up trying to calm her friend and went out in search for some news from the groom and when she returned just before sunset, there was the cockiest little smile on her pink lips, as if she knew something nobody else did. In a matter of minutes, she was coaching Korra outside and leading her through the village with two other local girls that Korra remembered from her days of bedrest since they had often brought her meals and made polite conversation, Naga also trailed behind them, occasionally sniffing at the Avatar with obvious curiosity. It wasn't long before they were all walking into the jungle and towards a little meadow up ahead; apparently it was the maid-of-honor's job to carry the long train of the bride's outfit while two dancer girls guided them to the groom.

The Avatar almost expected the meadow to be full of villagers, there to witness the wedding, but it wasn't- the little carefully tended and perfectly round space was full of lush greenery that carpeted the ground and opened into a tiny beach bay so that white sand rolled into the verdant grass in the loveliest of gradients, large ancient trees with weeping branches full of vibrant flowers hid the whole place from prying eyes, little glowing Spirits floated by and only six human shapes appeared to be waiting there.

One of the people standing in the meadow was Noatak, he overshadowed everyone else in Korra's mind because as soon as she saw him she expected to become even more nervous yet instead she felt a cool gentle calm fall onto her like the first few snowflakes of winter drizzling down from the sky in her hometown. He was watching her with a passive expression that only the Avatar could unravel, a look in which only she could recognize the adoration, amazement and awe hidden in the depths of icy eyes, that expression seemed to beckon her and encourage her, it made her heart swell and silenced the butterbees in her stomach once and for all but also appeared to hold a tiny hint of relief- apparently she wasn't the only afraid of cold feet.

One thing caught her eye though, Korra couldn't help but notice what Noatak was wearing and to be honest it made her feel a lot better about her own swanky dress- Korra had already noticed that the locals made very little gender distinct when it came to clothes, she had even heard the women that helped her get ready talking about how some couples even married in matching sarongs of puffy outfits, yet although Noatak's outfit was eerily similar to hers, it was also distinctively different and while her dress felt like the epitome of femininity on her, he managed to make his garments look delectably masculine just by the way he filled them.

The equalist wore a long tunic that draped over one shoulder and was just a foot shorter than her dress with no train, it was also made in layers of equally geometrically embroidered material in gold, black and indigo but rather than the countless layers of her gown, there were three or four tiers to the tunic and rather than feathers, it seemed lined with tiny cone-shaped shells and a thick maroon sash looped around his waist. There were vines and little flowers buds in his hair as well and he sported new tattoos along his arm and shoulder too, it was so different from the usual practical equalist she knew that it felt she hadn't seen him in months rather than hours. Korra wondered if she looked as strange and otherworldly to him at that moment as he did to her.

"Normally, you'd be the one waiting and he'd be brought in by sea in a canoe." One of the girls whispered in Korra's ear.

"But he said he wanted to wait and talk to you before the final ceremony and everyone complied." Jinora finished just as softly before giving her friend a soft smile and little nudge on the back.

Korra couldn't remember if she had ever thanked Jinora for being so accepting about her relationship with Noatak but at that moment she thought it was well overdue. At first the girl just seemed to find their tale interesting and dreamy in a forbidden romance novel sort of way but the fact remained that she had never judged, she had always been supportive and trusted Korra's judgement concerning Noatak and while the Avatar didn't feel that she needed anyone's approval to validate her love, she was grateful to Jinora because nobody else had accepted the relationship as quickly or trusted her decisions as fully as the airbender.

With a grateful grin Korra left her friend with the other girls by the trees and walked over to her lover with only Naga keeping her company, on her way she noticed that the other people in the clearing were General Iroh and one of the sailors under his command who sported a large clunky camera, two young men from the village serving the same role as her escorts and a short old woman that she recognized as the healer that treated her for the past two weeks- the elder had a deeply wrinkled tanned face that clashed with a shock of dark streaked hair, she had extensive tattoos and that day she wore colorful garments and headpiece of flame-colored feathers, weaved straw and bright flowers; Korra now suspected that the latter was more than a healer, perhaps some tribal version of a priestess but she didn't think about it for long because she was too focused on the man in front of her.

"I'm not exactly sure what to say." The equalist admitted as soon as she stood before him and sat obediently as if guarding them.

"You, speechless?" The Avatar teased with a chuckle. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

"I can't help it. You look indescribable, I have no words." He explained apologetically, his eyes roaming over her form.

"Is that a good thing?" Korra enquired with a smirk that clearly showed that she knew the answer.

"You look so fantastic and beautiful that words fail me of all people. You tell _me_ if that's a good thing." Noatak smirked a little sardonically as well.

"You don't look so bad yourself, old man." She grinned and waved at him from top to bottom, giving a low whistle of approval. "The flowers look a little foreign but the ink suits you."

"Likewise." The equalist returned the compliment and allowed the tips of his fingers to graze over her tattooed shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a grown-up now." Korra retorted a bit sardonically.

"Does that mean I'm no longer a cradle robber?" The reply was equally mocking.

"I wouldn't go that far." She stuck out her tongue playfully and reached up on tiptoes to kiss him, using a little airbending to lift her up to right height.

He chose not to notice the bending and kissed back just as sweetly although chastely due to the onlookers. However, when they parted he looked considerably more serious.

"All jokes aside, Korra, I have to ask… Is this really what you want? This _is_ all very sudden but you can still change your mind. Do you really want to marry? You know you don't have to, we can raise the baby just fine without being married." Noatak spoke diplomatically but there was an edge of emotion in his voice that told her how hard it was for him voice those words.

"You're asking me that after everything I did today? I mean, after the thing with hot stones, my feet are the furthest thing from cold, they're positively sizzled." The Avatar joked with renewed determination.

"So they made you go through that too?" There was humor in his tone and he seemed more relaxed but still on guard.

"Yes and I walked over those stones with my head held high and a smile on my face because nothing is going to make me change my mind about this." Korra assured, making an unsaid promise that seemed to make all apprehension leak from his body.

"I see. In that case…" Noatak stood a little straighter and solemn and from the folds of his tunic he produced the pouch from the night before, opening it to retrieve its contents. "This is for you."

He presented her with the necklace for the second time but it was no longer incomplete. As she had assumed the cobalt blue leather was more vivid and striking in daylight with its flawlessly stitched white waves and the platinum latch that twinkled in the light of the setting sun but something else glittered too- an small vivid opal hung from the little loop in the middle of the choker, it looked like a forest fire incased in frozen sea foam, or at least Korra thought so due to all the flaming colors swirling in the cloudy white gem, but what caught her attention the most was the shape since it was carved to resemble a perfect little star.

"The star fishes?" She guessed with a wide smile gracing her lips and her fingertips mapping the edges of the stone.

"And the actual stars that were above us." Noatak added with a rare soft smile of his own. "I thought last night was worthy of being immortalized. And aren't we star-crossed lovers after all? Isn't the five-pointed star the symbol of all elements in balance? A symbol worthy of the Avatar? It just suddenly struck me as appropriate."

"It is." Korra agreed with cheerful nod. "I love it."

"Then will you be my wife, Korra?" The equalist held her free hand and looked into her eyes expectantly even though at this point the question was merely perfunctory.

"I asked first." The Avatar teased and squeezed his hand back. "Will you be my husband, Noatak?"

"Until the day I die and from beyond the grave." He assured in a heartbeat.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." She grinned and leaned in for yet another loving kiss, she then stepped back and turned around, pulling her hair out of the way to expose her neck. "Well, what are you waiting for? Put it on me!"

Without further ado, Noatak placed the choker around her neck so the opal fell comfortably on the hollow of her throat, he closed the latch securely and allowed her hair to spill back into place before she turned and took both his hands in hers. The necklace felt snug and comfortable around her neck, the weight of the stone was reassuring and the way Noatak looked at her that moment warmed her from the core but, most of all, it just felt right in a private manner that she hadn't expected.

Words weren't really necessary, they silently agreed that it was time to finish what they started and so they turned to the people waiting by the trees and gave little nods to express their readiness.

In seconds, Jinora and the two dancer girls were guiding Korra to the edge of the meadow and onto the beach, her feet were still recovering from the hot stones so the sand stung ever so slightly but it was only for a moment because she was led to stand over a carpet of large rubbery tree leafs. There were more flowers around her, dozens spilled all over the place, they seemed to be everywhere in the island and she had long since learned that flowers were sacred to the local culture as well as the main resource of the island seeing as medicinal blossoms were abundant there and the main export to the rest of the Fire Nation.

Noatak was right next to her in the blink of an eye, guided by the two other men from the village. The short old woman she had noticed earlier came to stand in front of him with Iroh and Jinora at her flanks while Iroh's underling stood unobtrusively several feet away, snapping the occasional discreet photo.

"Thanks for coming." The Avatar whispered at the firebender general, hoping she wasn't breaking any sort of protocol.

"I'm honored." The general assured with wide smile. "And when the Avatar needs you, who could possibly refuse?"

"Er… I'm not sure I follow." Korra blinked, looking a tiny bit lost.

"Shaman Atutahi is officiating the ceremony but Iroh has the authority to make it binding and legal internationally. I asked him to do just that." Noatak explained in a respectfully low voice as well.

"Oh! Thank you." Korra actually bowed her head at both Iroh and the shaman in gratitude but glanced at the airbender. "You too, Jinora. Thanks for always being here for us."

The young woman smiled and was about to reply when the shaman cleared her throat with a little impatience, pointing at the setting sun to show that they were running out of time. Everyone went quiet at once.

Atutahi was the tribe's Spirit Shaman, long before Harmonic Convergence she already communicated with the Spirits and served as a moral compass, counselor, priestess and medicine woman to the tribe. Korra had actually grown fond of the woman but seeing this new side was almost a little intimidating… Until Atutahi began to speak.

The shaman had a deep but lyrical voice, it projected strength and wisdom but also kindness and calm, in many ways it reminded the Avatar of Tenzin and in turn soothed what little nervousness still lingered in her.

The ceremony began with the usual speech about what marriage was, what it entailed and how it should not be undertaken lightly, but then the shaman presented the bride and groom and praised their performance in the stone trial and their poise and obvious love and strong bonds. She warned them to protect each other and work in harmony and compromise, and she blessed them with wishes of a long fruitful life together.

There were bits and pieces that Korra missed because she grew easily distracted and kept glancing at Noatak's unreadable face, admiring his profile and daydreaming of a wedding night that she had never before imagined she'd have. And then suddenly she was snapped back to reality when the shaman said her name formally and respectfully, leading Korra to turn her attention quickly towards the elder who in turn motioned for the couple to face each other.

"Avatar Korra, are you truly and freely willing to take this man as your bonded companion? To love, respect and protect, through the darkness and the light, to father your children and stand by your side for as long as Fate deems fit?" As she asked the question, Atutahi handed the Avatar a lei made of white, blue and indigo blossoms.

"Yes, until I die and beyond the grave." Korra mirrored Noatak's earlier words, giving him a little grin.

Luckily, she had been told what to do and slipped the flower necklace around his neck without any need for further instruction, she then decided to truly break protocol and began to improvise her vows with her gaze boring into her lover's.

"I know we started out in the worst way possible, I know there's a lot about our relationship that bothers people and I know that there will always be things that we can't see eye to eye… I know all this but I don't care because the way we met should have made us hate each other forever, it should have made us kill each other, and yet we overcame the past and learned to love. Sure, at first it was just about the challenge and the physical part but then I learned that we have so much in common, that you understand me in ways that nobody else can and before I knew it I no longer wanted to be without you.

I know it won't be easy, I know that parts of our life together might be incompatible in the long run and I know that what's directly ahead of us will be hard, but I also know that I'm strong and resilient and you're powerful and intelligent, either of us can do anything we set our minds to so together we are unstoppable and anything that comes our way will be worth it as long as we're together."

Korra finished her spontaneous speech with an expression that Noatak knew well, it was her warrior face and held complete confidence and a warm caring brightness that not many recognized for what it was. The equalist actually had to swallow back a lump of emotion and smiled gratefully.

Meanwhile, the shaman nodded approvingly and turned her attention to the groom this time.

"Noatak, are you truly and freely willing to take this woman as your bonded companion? To love, respect and protect, through the darkness and the light, to mother your children and stand by your side for as long as Fate deems fit?" Atutahi repeated, handing another lei to Noatak though this one had crimson, yellow and white blossoms.

"Yes, for as long as she'll have me." The equalist answered sincerely and gently placed the flower necklace around Korra's neck before he too began to pour out his vows in that charismatic commanding tone that had once charmed thousands:

"Korra, everything you said is true but I never hated you, I wanted to when we met, I tried so hard to see you as anything but human because I wanted to win and I knew I could not do so if I allowed myself to see the person beneath the Avatar. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop myself from being fascinated and had to harden my very soul, kill it even, just to follow through with what I thought was right…

Herein lies my problem- I always think I'm right, I always convince myself of my own lies and I often detach myself from everyone because I never let myself be human but you broke through my shields, you defeated the part of me that was no longer human, you proved me wrong and made me doubt everything, you helped me grow past the dark things I had clung to all my life, you showed me there was someone stronger than me and that power is not as important as what one chooses to do with it, you showed me someone that wasn't afraid to human and yet was still powerful despite that humanity.

You shattered everything I ever knew about myself, you forced me to change, you freed me from my past, I should have resented you and for a long time I did but in the end I've grown addicted to you and not only do I love you to perdition but I also love the man I am when I'm with you and that's something I never knew possible, something I never even dreamt I needed up until the day I first saw you smile because of me.

I have never liked to lose, winning has always come easily to me after all, but I cannot express how grateful I am to have lost to you all those years ago and how much I thank the Spirits that you could love me back and take this step with me. You've given me more than I deserve, you _are_ more than I deserve, and for that I shall never take you for granted, I shall hold onto you with both hands like the selfish man I am and I shall follow you in this life and the next."

Noatak's speech was so intense that even after he was done silence still reigned for a long heavily charged moment, nobody really seemed willing to break the quiet and all eyes were suddenly on the Avatar, awaiting her reaction.

In her stunned state Korra only realized she was holding her breath when her lungs began to protest and when she finally exhaled her heart was racing and it felt as if the world had abruptly brightened and she was truly _seeing_ Noatak for the first time. He had never said things like this to her, never bared his shielded heart so fully and yet he didn't look vulnerable in the least, he still held her gaze with that steely calm he was so famous for and looked stronger than she had ever noticed.

The Avatar saw the world blur as her eyes stung with unwanted tears but she swiped them away quickly and awkwardly before they really fell and smiled widely, mouthing a silent 'I love you' and squeezing her lover's hand just as the shaman straightened up and decided to finally continue.

Atutahi praised their words and their bravery at baring their hearts to the world but Korra wasn't paying that much attention, she was still looking right at Noatak and growing a little impatient and intensely curious because she knew what came next thanks to the ladies that dressed her- now the shaman would name them.

She didn't fully understand it but it seemed that when a couple married they were granted names in the ancient dialect of these islanders, names to be used only by each other, like new identities to be shared only with one's spouse. They would each get a name based on them as a pair but also a surname based each of them as an individual so that they do not forget to be their own person as well as a unit of two, it was symbolic and they had absolutely no say in what names would be chosen but it was an intriguing experience nonetheless.

"Very well, then as husband and wife you are now…" Atutahi paused for a moment, regarding them as if she waiting for sudden clarity, her head slightly tilted as if to hear the whispers of unseen Spirits that the Avatar could easily sense as well. Korra waited, once again practically holding her breath expectantly.

A moment later the shaman smiled as if agreeing with whichever Spirit was murmuring in her ear, with a warm expression she placed a hand over Korra's chest and said- "Nanihi, 'complete', for I see that he is your opposite, your other half, and while you can still be strong without him, you are only complete with him. And Vaihere, 'water of love', for you are a daughter of the ice with healing hands and an overflowing heart."

"Nanihi Vaihere." Korra tested the exotic name on tongue and found that she liked the sound, it felt right even though it was a little bit jarring to use a surname all of a sudden even though she wasn't really going to use it seeing as it was more akin to a title than a name.

Atutahi then placed her other hand on Noatak's chest, glancing upwards to look him in the eye, and said- "Arava, 'desired child', for I feel that you have pushed everyone away and made yourself hated but she still wants you despite your flaws, she stands here to prove that you are indeed desired. And Ari, 'deep water', for there is much more beneath your surface than meets the eye, dark waters that run deeper than anyone but her dare to explore."

"Arava Ari." Noatak repeated, he sounded just as curious and intrigued as the Avatar but made no objection and agreed gratefully with the choice.

To make it official, the shaman poured some sort of herbal drink she called 'bonding wine' into a wooden bowl and told them to share the drink as a promise that they would share everything else, good or bad, from then on. Noatak drank first, solemnly swallowing a sip before he passed the bowl the Korra, though he grumbled something about this drink being inappropriate in her condition; in retort the shaman just chuckled and whispered, in a conspiring tone, that it was just a sip and would do no harm.

The Avatar had no idea what they meant at first but then she took a long gulp from the bowl realized that although the liquid tasted sweet, fruity and spicy all at once, it felt like pure alcohol burning down her throat. Why did almost everything in the Fire Nation have to be so hot? She actually choked ever so slightly before recovering her bearings and passing the bowl back to the shaman.

Lastly, Atutahi picked up a thin plaque of what seemed to be tree bark and, for the first time in the whole ceremony, used firebending to etch something into the wood before raising it above her head for all to see- it had some ceremonial words on it in the Universal language rather than the local dialect, probably as a favor to the bride and groom whose names, old and new, were also added to the plaque.

"With Spirits and humans alike as my witness, I now declare you, Nanihi and Arava, husband and wife." Atutahi exclaimed commandingly, her voice ringing above the sound of the breeze and the whoosh of the waves on the shore.

"And I, with the power invested in me by the United Republic of Nations and all its allies, declare this ceremony binding and legal." Iroh added in, respectful accepting the plaque from the old shaman and adding a mark of his own to it before handing it back so that Atutahi could deliver the little 'wedding certificate' to the newlyweds.

Korra and Noatak accepted the still warm wooden trophy together and as soon as it was in their hands their eyes locked on each other, ice blue and sky color meeting in a silent communication of mutual love and excitement.

They kissed, the shaman encouraged it but to be honest Korra hadn't even heard the woman, she just couldn't stand it any longer and had to throw her arms around him and mash her lips to his in a passionate breathtaking display of emotion; Noatak's arms found their way around waist, holding close and kissing back with just as much intensity and possessiveness until they both felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.

When they finally broke the kiss, refusing to let go of each other, the shaman had already stepped back and the few people present were applauding, raining flower petals over them and congratulating them. Jinora came forward to hug them both and Iroh bowed, offering congratulations with that lighthearted formality that was part of who he was.

"Just wait until I tell daddy and the other airbenders." Jinora chuckled softly. "I might use a little astral projection and break the news tonight."

"You should tell Kai first." The Avatar replied rather suggestively.

"Why?" The young airbender was uncharacteristically confused.

"To put the idea in his head so you can join the newlywed club with me." Korra joked and laughed, causing Jinora to titter as well.

She couldn't stop smiling, Korra knew it was silly to feel so giddy since this changed nothing in her life, all this extraordinary spectacle did was make official what they already had and provide them with a nice memory, yet she just couldn't wipe the grin off her face, especially when she felt Noatak holding her more tightly and saw the look in his eyes, a look of peaceful happiness that she was pretty sure she had never seen in him before.

They had no idea what came next, the sun was almost completely gone, leaving only fiery hues or red, magenta, orange and gold splashed over the horizon under the first dusting of stars, and the newlyweds were already wondering if they could run off and find some privacy. However, before they could come to a decision, they were suddenly being lifted up with the tribespeople that had escorted them and were carried all the way back to the village where an explosion of cheerful sound greeted them.

Before long there was a large bonfire in the open circle at the center of the village, such a blaze would have brought pride to any Fire Nation celebration and a feast that seemed to encompass the entire community soon began; there was music and fire dancers, including the ones that had escorted Korra and Noatak, began to entertain the crowd.

The food was as spicy as expected but absolutely delicious and, at some point, there was something akin to bending-related fireworks and to Korra's surprise Noatak didn't seem to mind the display in the least for once and merely held her while they watched. Plenty Spirits joined in on the fun too and Korra saw Jinora dancing with them before pulling Iroh to join in on the fun, which was only fair seeing as the few navy men he brought with him were already dancing with the locals as well.

"Did you ever imagine it would be like this?" The Avatar asked her new husband at some point through the feast after tossing Naga a few more morsels of food. The polar bear dog was sitting several yards away and gnawing at some large bone while little children started to pop up around it again, apparently the kids found the massive foreign beast fascinating and kept wanting to play with it.

"What, exactly?" Noatak enquired while sipping on a drink that one of the dancers had shoved into his hand earlier for a toast.

"Your wedding." She clarified impatiently.

"Korra, I never even imagined I would marry at all." The equalist admitted somberly.

"But you were getting ready to ask me." Korra was confused, why would he have been making a betrothal necklace if he wasn't thinking about marriage?

"That doesn't mean I thought you'd accept." Noatak explained noncommittally.

"What? So you were counting on me saying no?" The Avatar was much too happy to get annoyed but nonetheless she glanced at him with a brow raised expectantly.

"…I hoped you wouldn't." He murmured just audibly enough to be heard over the music while he stared into his drink.

"Wait…" Her eyes widened. a new thought occurred to her in face of his slightly crestfallen tone. "You didn't think I loved you enough to say yes, did you?"

"That's not it." Noatak countered immediately, he wanted to make it absolutely clear that his doubts had nothing to do with her actions or feelings.

"Then what was it?" The Avatar the demanded with her arms crossed over her chest and mocking pout.

"Not now, Korra. We should be celebrating." He tried to change the subject and waved at the dancing masses.

"No, tell me. Why did you think I'd say no?" Korra would not be deterred, she was much too stubborn.

"Because he didn't think he deserved a yes." A new voice piped in perceptively and they quickly saw the shaman staring pointedly at them not three feet away.

"What?" The Avatar look utterly lost at the reply.

"Pardon me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Atutahi apologized quickly, she then looked directly at Noatak. "But I am right, am I not?"

"…" The equalist hesitated to reply.

"Is she?" Korra insisted.

"Perhaps." He conceded at last, barely coming to terms with the answer himself.

"You idiot." Korra rolled her eyes and shook her head but her little bit of suspicion had already evaporated, she then wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Whatever happened to all that hubris and self-confidence you used to have?"

"You pushed it all out a window and into the sea." Noatak retorted with renewed humor.

"Oh yeah." She laughed loudly and kissed him once more. "Well, seems I proved you wrong again."

"I certainly hope so." Noatak agreed and, a moment later, turned to the shaman with a humble nod. "Thank you for clearing that up."

"It's quite alright." Atutahi grinned and moved closer to pat his shoulder but when she glanced at their plates the grin fell and was replaced with a reproachful pout. "…No, no, this won't do, Avatar Korra."

"Huh? What?" Once again the Avatar was confused, though in an utterly innocent way this time.

"You must eat properly, how do you expect to feed your babies like this?" The shaman berated lightheartedly.

"Oh, well, I actually tend to eat a lot but it's just been such an exciting day and my stomach is still all tied up in knots so I…" Korra cut her rambling off suddenly and frowned at the elder. "Wait, did you say 'babies'?"

"I was wondering that too." Noatak added in all seriousness.

"Yes, did you forget about the pregnancy already?" Atutahi clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"No, but why the plural?" The Avatar insisted.

"Because you're having twins, of course." The shaman deadpanned casually.

"Of cour-… What?!" Korra's reply began in the same casual tone until the words registered in her brain and she suddenly sat bolt upright.

"Did I not mention that?" The old woman raised her brows quizzically.

"No, you most certainly did not." Noatak retorted dryly. "And how can you know this anyway? She's barely nine weeks along, it's hard enough to even tell she's expecting."

"A shaman has its ways, some Spirits know much." Atutahi replied cryptically, she leaned closer and planted knobby hand on the Avatar's belly. "Two strong little lives indeed. But you don't have to believe me, you'll see soon enough." The shaman chuckled at their flabbergasted expressions and stood on spindly old legs. "Well, I've pried enough. I will leave you to each other. Good night."

They responded automatically and said 'good night' in unison, both still too shocked to do much else.

"Noatak?" Korra called after a long stunned moment.

"Yes?" He muttered numbly.

"I think I'm going to faint." She did indeed look quite woozy and pale.

"No, you're not." The equalist stated with certainty but held her close for support.

"TWO kids at once, Noatak!" Korra snapped loudly, trying to justify her shock and sudden panic.

"Breathe, Korra." Noatak caressed her back in soothing circles, coaching her to relax. "It might be a false alarm, just wishful thinking from an old healer, don't get upset yet."

"But what if she's right? You've met my cousins, you know twins are a thing in my family, what if we really do have two?" The Avatar rambled anxiously, completely forgetting the party around her.

"So what?" He enquired, rapidly becoming at ease again and looking at her lovely face bathed in golden firelight.

"Huh?" Korra was too taken aback by his tone to understand the reply.

"Korra, what's so scary about this? You were happy to have one, you should be even happier if we're blessed with two." Noatak pointed out with the simplest logic.

"But… I don't know if I'm ready to handle one, much less two!" She snapped back, still high-strung though her heartbeat was rapidly slowing from its frantic drumming.

"Good thing you're not alone then." The equalist pointed out serenely.

"…That's right, I have a husband now, don't I?" Korra took a deep breath and a tiny smile started to creep back onto her face as she glanced at him. For a moment she had almost forgotten that she didn't have to be strong all by herself in this situation.

"Yes, you do." Noatak gave that usual ghost of a smile and planted a small kiss on her forehead.

"You'd be happy if we had two?" She wondered with cautious but growing optimism.

"Thrilled." He assured with complete honesty.

"Well… I always wanted siblings and never had them, maybe it's good if our kids never know how lonely that feeling is... Maybe if we're together it won't be so hard… Maybe…" Korra rambled a little, still trying to convince herself.

"Let yourself be happy, Korra. Don't worry about the rest for now." Noatak requested.

"You know what? You're right. I'm gonna live in the moment like I always do." The Avatar stated with a new spark of determination in her eyes, she even picked up a drink, something non-alcoholic this time, and took long sweet swig. "I just got married and I am going to celebrate the hell out of that and then when I get back home I'm going to gather Bo and Mako and Asami and Wu and everybody else and celebrate even harder and _then_ I'll start thinking about twins and what to do about them."

"Now that's the Korra I know and love." The equalist gave a slight approving chuckle and actually allowed her to get up and pull him into a dance.

Despite the brief panicky interlude, the celebration was memorable but Korra and Noatak didn't get to experience much more than half because as soon it was clear that they had stopped being the center of attention, they slipped away amidst the confusion. They disappeared into the night, behind the empty little homes and under the starlight, leaving even Naga behind with the village children. As soon as they were clear and out of sight, Noatak picked the Avatar up by surprise and carried her all the way back to their little guest hut.

Korra laughed but didn't object, in fact she had wanted to do the exact same thing to him but the equalist had simply been faster so she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her and drop her playfully onto the bed.

"Alone at last, huh?" The Avatar chuckled as she sat up, grabbed his tunic and pulled him to the bed as well.

"Indeed." Noatak grinned and landed beside her, his hand automatically reached up to comb her tousled hair off her face. "And how is my wife feeling? Not too tired?"

"Your wife is excited and dying to get out of this dress." Korra stated with a provocative wink before adding, a little pensively- " _Wife_. I kinda like the sound of that."

"So do I." He cupped her cheek and the tip of his thumb ran along her plump lips from which the lip paint long since faded. "Nahini, was it?"

"Yup, pleasure to meet you. Perhaps you've seen my husband Arava around?" Korra's tone was playful and she still couldn't help laughing over every little thing, she was totally drunk but on happiness rather than alcohol.

"I might have." The equalist replied just as teasingly but then his voice softened into something more heartfelt. "He's a very lucky man."

"And he better not forget it." She grinned cockily and actually bopped his nose but he caught her hand and held it to his scratchy cheek.

"I love you, Korra." Noatak practically sighed the words.

"I love you too, Noatak." The Avatar smiled and spoke more sincerely and lovingly. She then allowed her hand to slip to the back of his neck and pull him abruptly so that their noses were almost touching. "Now, how about we start off our wedding night? I _really_ can't wait to get out of this dress." Korra nuzzled his nose with hers and tugged at his own outfit quite demandingly.

"I thought you'd never ask." The equalist purred and leaned a little closer to catch her lips in a hungry kiss, his hands already complying with her wish and undoing the belt that held the gown together.

~~~~~~.:oOo:.~~~~~~

 _(A/N: Wow, this turned out MASSIVE and waaaay too sappy and overly complicated._

 _Anyway… The wedding traditions I used as inspiration all come from Polynesian/Hawaiian/Samoan cultures, including the tree bark 'wedding certificate' called 'tapa' which is more modern and the older traditions like the tattoos, the closely matched clothing, the clothing designs, the flowers, the dancers, the palm/coconut leafs at the 'altar', the beach, the carrying of the newlyweds, the lei exchange, etc. etc. The naming tradition is also Polynesian, more specifically Tahitian, hence why I used Tahitian names (although the original custom involved a specific title –tané and vahiné- for each and then only one name per person but, like I said, it was only used it as inspiration to weave something new)._

 _I know the Fire Nation is based prominently on Japanese influences with the occasional Indian reference and an emphasis on industrialism but since it's a large scattered volcanic archipelago, I can easily imagine some of the more distant and rural islands with tribes like these since Polynesians are genetically and culturally closer to Asian ethnicities and many worship fire and volcano deities, plus we've seen in ATLA that such ethnic branches can exist as seen, for example, with the swamp waterbenders. On that tangent I can imagine many little branches for all the other nations too._

 _About the name meanings:_

 _Atutahi- 'star' (specifically the piscis australis) in Tahitian_

 _Arava – 'desired child/boy' in Tahitian_

 _Ari- 'deep water' in Tahitian_

 _Nanihi- 'complete' (female name) in Tahitian_

 _Vaihere- 'water of love' in Tahitian.)_


End file.
